BACOLOD City – The Bacolod City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC) revealed yesterday, Aug. 2, that seven more city government employees tested positive for illegal drugs.
During the five-day random drug testing screening from July 28 to Aug. 1, 46 employees tested positive, bringing the total to 53.
Thirty-two were assigned to the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office, including four regular employees, and 21 were detailed at the Public Order and Safety Office (POSO) as job orders.
Primitivo Tabujara, coordinator and focal person of CADAC, said shabu and marijuana were specifically detected in the specimens submitted by the employees.
“May instruction si mayor padayunon ang drug test sa tanan nga employees in random kay may mga information from the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency nga may ara employees nga nagagamit illegal drugs,” said Tabujara who is also the POSO head.
As of yesterday, 705 city employees had already been tested.
Tabujara also clarified that the Department of Health will conduct confirmatory tests for those who tested positive.
The CADAC recommended the following measures:
* interview those found positive for illegal drugs
* convince participation in the drug use assessment by the City Health Office on Aug. 10
* subject to rehabilitation and other intervention treatment programs
* termination of duty and services from the city government, and
* a successful rehabilitation will have a chance of re-employment after the rigid assessment
“If they get better and recover, they may be reconsidered for hiring by the city government,” Benitez said./PN
