DANAO CITY, Cebu – At least 2,300 stalks of marijuana plants were uprooted in the mountain barangay of Sibakan, this City last Sunday as a result of the intensified government drive on marijuana plantations around the province.

Elements of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the 78th Infantry Battalion and the Danao City Police Station were able to uproot that much marijuana plants in Sitio Panliwad-on, Sibakan.

Some 270 stalks of the confiscated marijuana plants are fully-grown already, police said.

1Lt. Eric Pidazo of the 78th Infantry Battalion based in Danao City said they received information from a concerned citizen regarding the marijuana plantation located in the said place.

No one was arrested during the operation, said Pidazo, adding that investigation is still going on to confirm the identities of those behind the operation of the marijuana plantation.

The confiscated marijuana plants were hauled to the PDEA-7 office in Cebu City.

Earlier, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said she will introduce livelihood programs to farmers in mountain barangays around the province to discourage them from cultivating marijuana plants.

She also said that a reward system will be introduced that will compensate barangay officials pointing to marijuana plantations in their area of responsibility.