Public school teacher fails drug test, principal 'flees'

A male public school teacher in one of the mountain barangays in Cebu City was found to be positive of shabu use during a surprise drug test held last Monday at the Department of Education city division office while a principal allegedly left the building while the testing was going on.

Four-hundred sixteen male public school teachers were subjected to the test, they were caught by surprise thinking they were summoned for a meeting with the division superintendent.

Another male teacher was found to be positive in the initial screening but he was proven to be clean after a confirmatory examination at PNP Crime Laboratory.

Cebu City councilor Augustus Pe, chairman of committee on Dangerous Drugs and chairman of Cebu City Anti-Drug Abuse Council, refused to divulge the name of the male public school teacher who was found using drugs but said they will ask city school division superintendent Lorna Rances to prohibit the teacher from going back to work.

"We will recommend to the city school division to have the teacher stop teaching and undergo rehabilitation so as not to influence students," Pe said.

A principal of a school in one of the mountain barangays in the city's north district, whose name is also being withheld upon request of CADAC, is also suspected of using drugs after he escaped while the surprise drug test was going on.

According to Jolin Lazarte, executive assistant of Councilor Pe, they saw the principal hurriedly escaping from the 4th floor passing through the fire exit.

CADAC will also be asking Rances to sanction the school principal.

Last January 2005, 415 public school teachers were also made to undergo a surprise drug test wherein three male public school teachers - one from Abellana National School and the others from Camp Lapu-Lapu National High School and Lahug Night High School- were found positive of drug use.

They were dismissed and recommended for rehabilitation.

The office of Pe also initiated a surprise drug test among 827 barangay workers last year wherein 16 were found positive of using shabu. - Ramil V. Ayuman