CEBU, Philippines — At least 15 City Hall and nine barangay workers have turned out positive of illegal drugs while five other departments saw all their employees cleared in a surprise drug test conducted.
City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (COSAP) chief Jonah John Rodriguez reported that there are seven employees under the Market Operations Division, four from the Department of Welfare and Social Services, three from the City Agriculture Department, and one from the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor turned out to be positive for the use of illegal substances.
On the lighter side though, five other departments that already underwent drug testing saw all of their employees as negative including the Management Information and Computer Services (MICS), City Hospitalization Assistance and Medicines Program (Champ), Bantay Dagat, Office of the Building Official (OBO) and Department of Manpower Development and Placement (DMDP).
Aside from the City Hall employees, it was also learned that there were also barangay workers caught positives of illegal drugs. These include one each from barangays San Jose and Sibugay, two from both Kamagayan and Carreta, and three from Babag.
Employees of Barangay Lusaran, on the other hand, were all cleared.
Along with this, Rodriguez reminded everyone at the City Hall and even in the barangays to stay away from drugs or probably lose their jobs.
The conduct of the surprise drug test is in accordance with City Ordinance 1829 authored by no less than Mayor Edgardo Labella when he was a councilor.
For City Hall employees who refused to take a drug test, they can be removed from their jobs while appropriate sanctions will also be given to those that turned out positive.
For the barangay workers, it will be the barangay captain’s responsibility on how to deal with those who refused testing and those who turned out positive.
"Wala may angay nga kahadlokan sa pagpa-drug test kun wala ta mosuyop," said Rodriguez.
COSAP is also offering rehabilitation for those employees who are caught positive with illegal drugs. —Sanden J. Anadia, GMR (FREEMAN)