At the end of the red dirt road of Barangay San Roque, Batangas, there is an old man named Lolo Benigno, now in his 70s, who has been living alone in a bahay kubo and a nipa wall since his wife passed away. He has no children or relatives. For decades, he has only made a living by picking wild vegetables and planting a few types of halamang gamot behind his house to sell at palengke.

Everyone in the neighborhood loves him because he is poor but kind, “walang kaaway.”

And yet, in just three months, Lolo Benigno’s life has changed strangely.

From a rickety thatched house, he immediately built a level 4 house with a green painted corrugated iron roof, installed cameras in all four corners, and even bought a brand new motorbike scooter. Every morning, people see him wearing a simple but smart barong Tagalog, bending over to water a strange plant in the backyard – dark green leaves, long stems, and a pungent smell similar to mugwort.

When asked, he just smiled toothlessly:

“Bagong halamang gamot itinuro ng isang albularyo mula Mindoro. Pampatibay ng katawan, pampaganda ng dugo.”

Then he brought bundles of dried leaves, put them in zip bags, labeled “Herbal Tea – Natural Remedy for Insomnia”, and shipped them everywhere via LBC.

Buyers whispered to each other:
“Pare, uminom ako nung tsaa niya, tulog akong parang patay! Ang sarap!”

The whole neighborhood was curious. Some admired, some were jealous, and some speculated:

“Baka tumama sa lotto si Lolo, kaya biglang ganyan!”

“Hindi ah, sabi nila binebenta raw sa mga foreigner.”

“Nakakita ako ng isang kano dumating, nagdala pa ng imported na alak.”

Before anyone could clarify, one hot afternoon, a “heaven-shattering” incident happened.

Aso ng Pulis, Ang Nagbunyag ng Lihim

An inspection team from the city came to Barangay San Roque, bringing along a sniffer dog to check for wild animals.

While passing by Lolo Benigno’s garden, the dog suddenly growled, jumped onto the drying leaves, and barked loudly. The whole group was startled.

The veterinary officer was suspicious and immediately asked for a sample to be tested. Lolo Benigno’s face turned pale, and he hurriedly stammered:

“Huwag na po… sunugin na lang natin ‘yan!”

But it was too late.

The quick test results left everyone stunned: the plant he was growing was not traditional medicine… but hybrid marijuana imported from Thailand – on the list of prohibited cultivation and trade!

Lolo Benigno frantically explained:
– “Akala ko po ang tawag ay kandeng-kandeng… may nakita lang ako sa internet, sabi nila pampatulog daw. Hindi ko alam na bawal pala!”

But things had gotten out of hand: hundreds of bags of “herbal tea” had been sold online, his bank account had reached nearly ₱500,000.

The Whole Barangay Was Shocked

The whole neighborhood was stunned. Those who had loved him could only whisper behind his back:
– “Si Lolo pala… matagal na palang nagtatanim ng bawal.”
– “Grabe, akala ko santo ‘yun, ‘yon pala…”

Lolo Benigno was detained for investigation. But what was more shocking: in the camera hard drive, the authorities discovered that there were up to 12 foreigners who had come to “deal” with him – including one person on the international wanted list for illegal cross-border herbal trafficking.

From then on, Barangay San Roque suddenly had another creepy nickname:

“Ang Sitio ng Tulog Malalim” – where sleep… wakes up the whole village

Part 2 – When the Whole Barangay Was Dragged Into the Whirlpool

After the news of Lolo Benigno’s “herbal tea” was broadcast on national television, the once peaceful Barangay San Roque suddenly became the center of discussion in Batangas province.

Neighbors Involved

One morning, police cars and barangay officials pulled up and read the list of people who had ordered from Lolo. It turned out that almost half the barangay had bought “herbal tea” at least once because of the rumor that “it makes you sleep like a baby.”

– “Patay! Ako bumili ng dalawang pakete, pinadala ko pa sa kapatid ko sa Maynila!” – a housewife confessed with a pale face.

– “Naku, anak ko pa ang uminom minsan, akala ko herbal lang…” – a father scratched his head in worry.

People began to whisper:

“Eh kung lahat tayo na-test, baka lumabas positive!”

“Baka makasuhan pa tayong lahat?”

The normally peaceful atmosphere of the village was now as heavy as a courtroom.

The shocking incident at school

The climax occurred when at San Roque High School, a group of 10th graders brought Lolo’s tea bags to “try it for fun”. They secretly mixed and drank it in the classroom when the teachers were not around.

After only 20 minutes, three of them started to fall asleep, their eyes were red, and one even burst into laughter for no reason in the middle of class. The news spread, parents were panicked, and the principal immediately reported it to the police.

The police confiscated the remaining tea bag and confirmed that it was “marijuana tea” from Lolo Benigno’s garden. The incident was reported directly to the newspaper, causing a huge shock:
“Herbal Tea sa Barangay – Pumapasok Na sa Mga Estudyante!”

Unexpected confession

During the investigation, a new twist appeared: in Lolo’s notebook, there was a list of large-scale buyers. Among them was a primary school teacher in the neighborhood.

When questioned, the teacher trembled:
– “Hindi po ako gumagamit! Binili ko lang para sa kapatid kong may insomnia… hindi ko alam na bawal!”

However, the incident caused her reputation to plummet. The students in the class whispered:
– “Si Ma’am pala… kasama sa listahan ni Lolo!”

The whole barangay began to split: some blamed Lolo, others said “Who told you to be curious about cheap prices?”

Secret in the house

While searching Lolo Benigno’s newly built house, the police discovered a small cellar under the cement floor. Inside were dozens of unpacked bags of dry leaves, along with an English notebook.

Shockingly, the notebook contained a detailed recipe for making “sleeping tea” – but it was not written by Lolo. The handwriting and content showed the handwriting of a foreigner – who had appeared on camera and was on the red wanted list.

The question was: Was Lolo just a victim who was exploited, or did he really know everything and participate in the transnational smuggling ring?

Collective nightmare

Since then, no one in Barangay San Roque dared to touch any kind of “halamang gamot”. Those who had bought it feared being caught up in the law, students were strictly checked, and many families even started avoiding Lolo’s house like the plague.

One evening, someone hung a sign in front of his house:

“Bawal ang Halaman ng Antok – Barangay Naka-Bantay!”

The entire barangay now bears a new, more sinister nickname: “Sitio ng mga Natulog sa Bawal” – where a sleep has turned into a collective nightmare.