7 cops confirmed positive for drugs

CEBU, Philippines - Seven of the eight policemen who initially tested positive for drugs in a surprise drug test at the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) last month were confirmed to be drug users by the crime laboratory.

Supt. Audie Villacin, Officer-in-Charge of the Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division (RIDMD) – 7, told The FREEMAN the results of the confirmatory test of the eight policemen were released days after the test was done at Camp Sotero Cabahug on May 2.

CCPO Director Melvin Ramon Buenafe confirmed yesterday the development on the drug cases.

“I think it was an honest to goodness tests that was conducted by the crime lab, and the result is a product of their honest examination,” Buenafe said.

He, however, refused to disclose the names of the policemen involved to protect their families.

Villacin said the seven policemen were already subjected to pre-charge proceedings to determine probable cause based on the allegations. The next step will be the summary hearing.

Police Regional Office – 7 Director Marcelo Garbo Jr. has earlier assured the eight policemen of due process.

PRO-7 has dismissed six policemen from the service in the past few years due to drug issues.

 Villacin said most of those facing administrative charges are with the rank of Police Office 1 or those who are still new in the force.

Unlike the previous years, Villacin said the new breed of policemen have learned lessons from past issues involving policemen.

Meanwhile, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama wants the City Traffic Operations Management to implement a forced leave on its personnel who tested positive for shabu during a drug test conducted by the Cebu City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention recently.

Three of the 27 CITOM personnel who were subjected to a surprise random drug screening last Wednesday tested positive for shabu while one refused to undergo the test but admitted using drugs.

Only 27 of the 50 personnel who were summoned showed up and were subjected to the drug test. The others who did not show up are still directed to submit urine samples to the private laboratory commissioned by the city but will have to coordinate with COSAP first.

Rama said that the personnel who admitted using drugs must be terminated immediately.

The three others who tested positive will be subjected to forced leave without pay while waiting for the results of the confirmatory test.

The result of the drug screening of the three CITOM personnel who tested positive will be submitted for a confirmatory test in the Department of Health laboratory in Manila.

The result will arrive in about three weeks, according to COSAP.

Atty. Rafael Christopher Yap, Executive Director of CITOM said that if the result of the confirmatory test shows positive, the personnel will no longer be recommended for renewal along with the personnel who admitted using drugs.

Their contracts will end on June 30. Yap said that they will not be sent out on field knowing that they are not ‘clean’.

He said it would be unfair and against their policy.

Yap admitted that losing four personnel will affect their operations but he said that he would rather have a few clean personnel than many with impure ones.

Yap said that CITOM cannot right away terminate the personnel who admitted using drugs but to recommend him for non-renewal in accordance with due process.  (FREEMAN)