2 LTO casual employees positive for using drugs

CEBU, Philippines - Two casual employees of the Land Transportation Office tested positive of drug use during a surprise drug test conducted last Saturday among casual employees of the agency in Cebu.

LTO-7 Assistant Regional Director Edgar Catarungan said results of the initial tests were sent to Manila for confirmation and once confirmed, the contracts of the two employees would no longer be renewed.

Catarungan said he called for a regional briefing of all casual employees from 19 division offices in Cebu but unknown to them, an accredited drug testing company was at the venue to help facilitate the drug tests. Once at the regional office, the 120 employees were no longer allowed to go out.

He said they conducted the surprise drug test after they received requests from the division heads asking that the test be conducted among all employees. The test was also reportedly part of LTO’s “refining program” in time with the expiration and renewal of the contracts of the casual employees.

Furthermore, Catarungan said the drug test was part of LTO’s campaign against illegal drugs in government offices.

In a separate development, Catarungan said all deputized agents of LTO were given five days within which to submit their identification cards to their department heads who, in turn, will forward the ID’s to the office of Department of Transportation and Communication Assistant Secretary Arturo Lomibao. Lomibao also acts as head of LTO.

Deputized agents would no longer be allowed to issue a Temporary Operator’s Permit. - AJ A. de la Torre/JMO (THE FREEMAN)