Osmeña sacks CH workers found positive of drug use

At least 18 workers from the Cebu City's Department of Engineering and Public Works and Assessor's Office were formally terminated for being positive in using illegal drugs.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña yesterday signed the termination order of the workers.

Aside from complying what the law provides, the mayor is not hesitant to kick out City Hall workers as he doesn't want to tolerate them of using illegal drugs.

“I am starting my own religion here in City Hall, mas bright ko sa Ginoo, ang Ginoo naghatag og 10 commandments, ako usa ra…Don't get caught,” Osmeña told reporters.

The mayor said it will serve as a warning to other City Hall workers that the city government is serious in its campaign against illegal drugs.

“I don't have time to hold hands. I wish I had the time to talk to their parents, legal counsel, rehabilitation, ayaw nalang. Daghan naghuwat nangita og trabaho, ato sila tagaan og chance, sorry nalang,” Osmeña said.

Last week, the Cebu City's Office for Substance Abuse Prevention conducted random drug testing in some offices.

COSAP Head Garry Lao told The FREEMAN that even though it was subject for confirmatory test, the mayor has the discretion to terminate these workers since they are job order and casual employees.

Of the 15 workers from DEPW, 13 of them were job order and the other two were casual employees. For the assessors' office, there were two job order workers and one casual employee.

“My message to them, kining drug test is not done for disciplinary purposes or to punish them but rather it was done to prevent city hall workers from using illegal drugs,” Lao said.

Pursuant to the law, COSAP holds annual random drug test in every offices in the city government and to the 80 barangays for a drug-free workplace.

This year, at least 10 offices in city hall have undergone random drug test.

Lao said that at least 17 barangay workers were also found positive of drug use. These workers are from Barangays Kasambagan, Guadalupe, Poblacion Pardo, and Sambag I.

Meanwhile, a policeman from Compostela, Cebu was also found positive for illegal drug use after a confirmatory test.

The name of the officer is temporarily withheld.

Last March 21, the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office (CPADAO) conducted a surprise drug test in Compostela and the officer, who has a rank of Police Officer 1, was “initially” found positive of drug use.

Upon validation through another confirmatory test, the results showed that the sample taken from the police officer is “confirmed” positive of illegal drugs.

Earlier, Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) Director Edgar Alan Okubo has relieved the policeman since March, pending the release of the results of the confirmatory test.

With the results out yesterday, CPADAO Chief Carmen Ivy Remedios Durano - Meca said that the police may face dismissal from service.

“Dili lang unta kutob sa pagdismiss sa usa ka empleyado but to help them to be also to reform,” she said.

Meca said that the police officer can be enrolled in an out-patient treatment program by the Department of Health.

However, the police officer needs to undergo an inpatient rehabilitation program if the degree of dependence is already high.

Meanwhile, the Badian tourist police officer who was also subjected to a confirmatory test was found negative of illegal drug use.

In another development, only one job order (JO) of the 330 local government employees of Daanbantayan, Cebu was found positive based on the initial drug testing. The result is still subject to a confirmatory test.

In Naga City, none of the 66 employees who underwent the testing was found positive.

On the other hand, Compostela Police Chief Senior Inspector Junafe Vergara told The FREEMAN, in a phone interview, that the neophyte cop, who tested positive in a surprise drug test, did not show signs of takingin illegal drugs.

She said the cop with a rank of Police Officer 1, had no record of misdoing during his service in the station.

And unlike others, who would mostly take a day-off unannounced, he would inform his superior beforehand.

“Wala na siya'y record. Kung sa trabaho mo-duty jud, mostly ang uban di kaayo ganahan motrabaho. Normal lang ang behavior, dili makita. But beyond that (work) wala na ko kahibaw,” Veragara said.