7 gov’t employees test positive
Only seven out of 631 individuals turned out positive after a series of random drug tests conducted by the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office (CPADAO) in the past three weeks.
These tests were conducted on government employees in six different local government units.
Last June 18, 145 personnel of the Cebu Provincial Hospital-Danao underwent a surprise drug test. Of the tested population, only one turned out positive.
In Samboan all 25 members of the Samboan police turned out negative for illegal drug use after a test conducted last June 22. In San Francisco 33 members of the town police were also tested last July 2 and all were negative.
In Dalaguete town, 353 employees of the municipal government underwent a drug test including the town mayor, vice mayor, and the councilors. Three job orders, two casuals, and one regular employee turned out positive.
CPADAO Chief Carmen Ivy Remedios Durano Meca explained that the regular employee might have yielded a false positive result after the person declared taking certain medicines prior to the test.
Last July 1, CPADAO trained fraternity and sorority members on how they can help in terms of drug education, especially among their peers. There were 50 participants from Danao City and Carmen town.
Of the said number, only 19 voluntarily submitted themselves to drug testing. All of them were tested negative.
“For that matter, I really encourage for all members to voluntarily undergo drug testing,” said Meca. However, she explained that their office cannot force individuals to take the test if they refuse to.
Meca also lauded the Talisay City government for their internal cleansing. A week ago 77 job order employees of the city government tested positive for illegal drug use.
“We clean our yards first before going to other places,” she said.
Meanwhile, almost 100 personnel from the Cebu Provincial Police Office submitted themselves to a surprise drug test conducted inside the police headquarters yesterday morning.
The personnel came from the supply and logistics office and the intelligence units of 50 different provincial police stations under CPPO who gathered in the headquarters for a conference.
Senior Superintendent Manuel Abrugena, CPPO director, said the surprise drug test is in compliance with ongoing efforts to cleanse their ranks of scalawags.
“We did this because of the serious effort ng regional director (Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas) na we have to continuously maipatupad ang internal cleansing,” Abrugena said.
He added those who test positive will be relieved from their post and their service firearms will be recalled, they will also be made to report to the Provincial Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit.
However, since Sinas previously stated that he is not satisfied with the speed of the cases for those who test positive, the PNP-7 Regional Internal Affairs Service will now handle the investigation.
“Upon determination, mag-conduct kami ng investigation and magdocument kami and immediately we will forward all the documents and reports to RIAS. Ito ang appropriate PNP unit na mandated to conduct an investigation,” Abrugena said.
Sinas also previously said that there are available rehabilitation programs that policemen who test positive can choose from.
Abrugena said this is a welcome development for policemen who want to start anew.
“Definitely being our brothers in uniform we encourage them to undergo ang mga community-based rehabilitation program,” Abrugena said.
Since Sinas assumed the post, almost 2,000 policemen in mainland Cebu have been subject to drug testing. One of them, PO1 Castro Garcia, tested positive in the confirmatory test and now undergoing summary hearing for dismissal.
Another policeman tried to avoid a drug test, but later tested negative. Sinas said this policeman will be monitored and made to undergo more drug tests for a time to satisfy his doubts following his attempt to avoid the test.