228 cops test negative of drug use

More than 200 personnel of the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 were subjected to a random drug test as part of the regional police’s ongoing internal cleansing.

Some 95 police officers at the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LCPO), 45 at the Regional Personnel, Human Resource and Doctrine Development (RPHRDD) and 88 at the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (NOPPO) submitted urine samples for the activity.

The policemen from LCPO and NOPPO all tested negative, while results have yet to be released for the personnel at the RPHRDD.

Temporary exemption

A member of the RPHRDD was on leave while another was in the hospital so they will take the test at a later time.

The anti-drug operatives who uprooted more than 5, 000 fully-grown marijuana plants in Balamban, Cebu will be exempted from the test for a month to flush out the toxins from their system, said Chief Supt. Debold Sinas, PRO 7 director.

“Of course, because they conducted an on-site burning, they will test positive because it’s airborne. Marijuana doesn’t stay long in your body, especially if you’re not really a user,” Sinas said.

Sinas vowed to conduct drug tests in Central Visayas as part of the organization’s internal cleansing.

“I already authorized the provincial directors in the places I haven’t visited yet, like in Bohol, Siquijor, and Negros Oriental, to go ahead with the drug test in their police offices,” Sinas said.

Some 74 key officials of the PRO 7 recently tested negative of drug use.