City worker nabbed over restobar pot

CEBU, Philippines -  A job order employee of the Mandaue City Hall was arrested by the operatives of the Subangdaku Police Station after he was allegedly caught in the act of smoking marijuana in a restobar along Mantiwi Drive, Barangay Tipolo, Mandaue City Tuesday evening.

Franco Reyes, 20, single, resident of Sitio Marfa, Barangay Bakilid and a job order employee assigned at the City Planning Office of the City Hall was arrested inside G-4 restobar after the personnel of the establishment called up the police to report an ongoing pot session inside the bar past 11 that night.

Police Officer 3 Allen Carado of the Subangdaku Police said Reyes was immediately arrested and brought to the police station after the stick of marijuana was recovered from his possession.

"Actually, ang tawag ana kay naa daw nag-pot session sud sa bar, unya pag-adto sa kapolisan siya may naatlan nga naghupot sa marijuana busa arrested siya ug gidala diri sa istasyon," Carado said.

He said the suspect is temporarily detained at a detention cell pending the filing of a case in violation of Section 11, Article 2 of RA 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Meanwhile, city administrator lawyer James Abadia said although they cannot put a job order employee under disciplinary action, there is still a need to conduct an investigation so he can be given chance to answer the allegations against him.

City legal officer lawyer Giovanni Tianero, for his part, said his office will conduct a separate fact-finding investigation, saying the employee involved is still presumed innocent until proven guilty.

In fact, if the employee can post bail for his case, he can still report for work, Tianero said.  (FREEMAN)