In Cebu province: 4 Sangguniang Kabataan officials drug positive

CEBU, Philippines — Four officers of the Sangguniang Kabataan in Cebu province tested positive of drug use during separate tests conducted by the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office (CPADAO).

Two of the four are SK chairmen in the barangay level in Oslob in the south and Danao in the north. The other two are SK councilors, also in the barangay level, in Danao and Carmen.

CPADAO is withholding the names of the four pending confirmatory test of the initial test results.

CPADAO head Ivy Durano-Meca said the four admitted to using illegal drugs but are classified as “low risk” users.

"These SK officials underwent assessment to assess the degree of their addiction. Most of them voluntarily submitted themselves for treatment and rehabilitation program," Meca said.

The drug test in Oslob was conducted on February 11 while the test in Danao was conducted on February 19. The test in Carmen was conducted on March 3.

CPADAO wants to reach out to the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation in the province so that steps can be taken to address the issue of the four SK officials testing positive of drug use.

Atty. Jerome Brillantes, provincial director of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said they will wait for the result of the confirmatory test.

If such test confirms the result of the initial drug test, the four SK officials will undergo due process before they can be removed from their post.

CPADAO also conducted tests in Asturias, Consolacion, Carcar, Naga, and Sogod.

Aside from SK officials, 30 employees of the Provincial Planning and Development Office and Cebu Provincial Investment and Promotions Office also underwent the drug test, and two job order employees tested positive of drug use.

In total, CPADAO conducted the test on at least 1,171 subjects from February until March 4. — JMO (FREEMAN)