Metro police official probed for drug use

MANILA, Philippines —  A ranking police official was relieved from his post and is undergoing an investigation after he tested positive during a random drug test.

The official, who is assigned in Metro Manila, was among the police officers who underwent random drug testing last week.

A police general, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the official was removed from his post over the weekend after he was found positive for drug use based on the examination of his urine samples.

The official was placed on floating status and will be subjected to confirmatory testing using the same urine samples.

“He was given the chance to challenge the result of the drug test,” the source said in an interview.

The source said there are instances when the confirmatory results would show a negative result.

Brig. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., director of the National Capital Region Police Office, has ordered the conduct of surprise drug tests as part of the NCRPO’s internal cleansing drive to weed out erring police personnel.

Should the second test show the official is a drug user, he will undergo summary dismissal proceedings.

NCRPO spokesperson Lt. Col. Eunice Salas said three police officers tested positive for drug use in three random drug tests since last week.

The first test was conducted on Aug. 22 involving 359 police officers, one of whom tested positive.

Sixty-one police officers were subjected to drug testing last Aug. 24. One of them was also found positive, Salas said in a phone interview.

On Tuesday, a police officer assigned in the Manila Police District  (MPD) tested positive. He was among the 33 MPD personnel subjected to a surprise drug test.

A drug test was also conducted on 497 police officers assigned to the Mandaluyong City police station but all of them were cleared.

Salas said those who were found positive have 15 days to challenge the results of the drug tests.

The police officers will undergo a pre-charge investigation and summary administrative proceedings.

Police officers who are caught using illegal drugs face administrative complaints for grave misconduct, the penalty of which is dismissal from the service.