BACOLOD City – At least seven additional employees of the Negros Occidental provincial government have tested positive for illegal drugs during another round of drug tests.
Earlier, 20 capitol employees flunked the drug test – 19 tested positive for shabu and one for marijuana.
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said the latest seven drug-positives consisted of five personnel of the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City and two from the Cadiz District Hospital in Cadiz City.
Drug test results revealed that five of them were using shabu while two others were positive for marijuana use, he said.
Diaz however refused to say if the involved employees were regular, job order (JO) or contract of service (CoS).
Aside from the 27 drug-positive employees, 16 other workers had traces of shabu in their urine sample. They are set to undergo confirmatory drug tests.
Previously, Diaz said JO and CoS employees who will test positive for drug use will not have their work contracts renewed.
Regular employees, meanwhile, who may test positive for drug use will likely undergo administrative hearings.
For his part, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson downplayed the number of drug-positive employees, stating it is not yet alarming compared to the current number of capitol employees.
However, the governor warned that drug-positive employees will still face penalties.
Earlier this month, 2,300 of the around 4,000 capitol employees underwent drug testing. (Watchmen Daily Journal)/PN
