By EUGENE ADIONG
BACOLOD City — Who is using illegal drugs in the Negros Occidental provincial government? Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. wants to know.
The governor is joining the campaign against illegal drug use among government officials and employees.
Marañon yesterday disclosed that he plans to require all provincial government employees to undergo a drug test. He believes that some of the more than 2,400 capitol employees “may be using drugs.”
However, Marañon said, the drug test will be random and unannounced.
Once the employees are informed that there is an upcoming drug test, “those who are into drugs may not use for a week so they will test negative,” he said.
The last time the capitol conducted a drug test among its employees was during the time of Marañon’s brother, the late Gov. Joseph Marañon.
No one tested positive for illegal drug use at the time.
Marañon refused to disclose even the tentative schedule for the drug test. He said he does not want anybody to prepare for it. “It’s top secret,” he said.
The governor believes no one should get exempted from the drug test, even elected government officials.
Government officials and employees who will be found positive for drugs will be subject to provisions of civil service laws, Marañon said.
Last month, the governor raised a challenge to everyone, particularly government officials, to take a drug test.
The proliferation of illegal drugs is “our biggest problem now,” Marañon said. In fact, “we are losing the fight,” he said.
“Let us take a drug test. We can have a simultaneous drug test,” he had said, noting that the challenge is “for everyone, including members of the media.”
He lamented that the authorities’ campaign against illegal drugs nets only the “small operators” and that barangays that were once drug-free are now reported to be drug-infested.
Many crimes now are drug-related, he had stressed./PN
