News:2026-02-20/Policy/cordillera-police-deploy-49-operator-squadrone-drone-unit-as-2026-seizures-nearly-triple-year-on-year

20 February 2026

Philippines eradication campaigns (2026)

Policy

Philippines·Cordillera Administrative Region·Philippine National Police·

Cordillera police deploy 49-operator SQUADRONE drone unit as 2026 seizures nearly triple year-on-year

At a press briefing on 20 February 2026, Police Regional Office Cordillera Administrative Region (PRO CAR) director Brig. Gen. Ericson Dilag reported that ₱364 million worth of cannabis was seized in the region between 1 January and 18 February 2026, across 182 operations. The haul comprised approximately 1.07 million grams of dried leaves, 1.22 million plants, and 35,800 seedlings. For comparison, 130 operations over the same six-week window in 2025 yielded ₱123 million worth of cannabis. Dilag attributed the increase to expanded aerial surveillance, and disclosed that PRO CAR deployed a dedicated 49-operator drone unit in the fourth quarter of 2025. The unit, named the Smart Quadrotor Unit for Advanced Deployment, Detection, Reconnaissance, Observation, and Networked Enforcement (SQUADRONE), was created to locate cultivation sites hidden under dense forest canopy that had previously required hours of foot patrols to reach.

Source: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2184546/p364-m-marijuana-seized-in-cordillera-in-first-6-weeks-of-2026-police

2026-02-20 Policy Cordillera police deploy 49-operator SQUADRONE drone unit as 2026 seizures nearly triple year-on-year At a press briefing on 20 February 2026, Police Regional Office Cordillera Administrative Region (PRO CAR) director Brig. Gen. Ericson Dilag reported that ₱364 million worth of cannabis was seized in the region between 1 January and 18 February 2026, across 182 operations. The haul comprised approximately 1.07 million grams of dried leaves, 1.22 million plants, and 35,800 seedlings. For comparison, 130 operations over the same six-week window in 2025 yielded ₱123 million worth of cannabis. Dilag attributed the increase to expanded aerial surveillance, and disclosed that PRO CAR deployed a dedicated 49-operator drone unit in the fourth quarter of 2025. The unit, named the Smart Quadrotor Unit for Advanced Deployment, Detection, Reconnaissance, Observation, and Networked Enforcement (SQUADRONE), was created to locate cultivation sites hidden under dense forest canopy that had previously required hours of foot patrols to reach. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2184546/p364-m-marijuana-seized-in-cordillera-in-first-6-weeks-of-2026-police Philippines eradication campaigns (2026) Philippines Cordillera Administrative Region