ILOILO – A fact-finding committee was formed to investigate the alleged involvement of an employee of the provincial government in illegal drugs.
Jojerick Salvado Bisnar, an administrative aide at the Provincial Budget Office, was arrested in a buy-bust operation of the Iloilo City Police Office-City Drug Enforcement Unit in Barangay Don Esteban, Lapuz, Iloilo City, last week.
“The Iloilo provincial government strictly implements a drug-free workplace policy and maintains that its officials and employees shall remain drug-free, and that the general public be assured of an effective and efficient service free from hazards of drug use in the workplace,” stressed Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. in Executive Order 243 that created the fact-finding committee.
The probe, he added, would determine “whether or not Mr. Bisnar is liable for administrative offense(s).”
The fact-finding committee is composed of the following:
* chairperson – Atty. Mae Therese C. Albacete, Attorney III of the Provincial Legal Office
* members – Marianne J. Castillo, Administrative Officer V of the Human Resource Management and Development Office (HRMDO), and Joel P. Lego, Security Guard IV of the Security and Safety Services
Drug test to be required upon hiring?
Defensor is also looking to require drug testing for all applicants to the provincial government.
“Kahapon lang naton gin sugilananon ni [Provincial Administrator] Dr. Raul Banias, together with our HRMDO, that we have something like that,” said Defensor.
Defensor also wanted regular drug testing for capitol employees, but “if we do that, we will have to put it in our supplemental budget.”
He warned capitol employees: “Kon madakpan ikaw sa droga, mataas ang penalty sa laye and it only takes so little para indi kana makapiyansa.”/PN
