Probe starts on 2 policemen found positive of drug use

The Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Branch of the Cebu City Police Office has started its investigation of the two policemen who were found positive of illegal drug use during the initial drug screening of policemen on Thursday.

CIIB head Sr. Insp. George Ylanan declined to reveal the names of the two policemen but said that both are PO1s and assigned to miscellaneous teams of two police stations.

Ylanan said a confirmatory test is still needed to confirm if these policemen are indeed drug users, so it would be unfair to name them at this time.  It would take a week before the confirmatory test will be released from the PNP Crime Laboratory in Camp Crame.

For now, the CIIB is conducting a background check on the two policemen and their acquaintances to determine how they got possibly involved in illegal drugs or how they came out positive of drug use in the screening.

In case the confirmatory tests show similar results with that of the initial screening, the two will be recommended for summary hearing at the Police Regional Office –7, which in turn will appoint a summary hearing officer for the purpose.

Ylanan added that the two may also be charged for violating Republic Act 9165 for drug abuse, in addition to administrative charges.

Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, director of the CCPO, had already warned that he will not hesitate to recommend their dismissal from the service if the tests confirm they are found to be drug users.

The two were among the 90 policemen who underwent a surprise drug test Thursday morning, immediately after a command conference on the police anti-crime campaign.

Comendador had called on members of the miscellaneous teams and special units to the command conference for a discussion of their intelligence capability and other adjustments.  Unknown to them, however, Comendador had another thing in mind.

Shortly after the conference, the policemen were allowed to leave only after they undergo a drug test, with the help of the City Office on Substance Abuse Prevention headed by Felix Lazarte, and the members of the PNP Crime Laboratory.  — Edwin Ian Melecio/RAE