2 more CH staff test positive for drugs

CEBU, Philippines - Two more Cebu City Hall employees are in danger of getting terminated from their job after testing positive of illegal drugs during the random drug testing conducted by the City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention yesterday.

COSAP head, Dr. Alice Utlang, disclosed that the employees are working under the Abattoir Operations Division which is under the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries.

She said that the two employees were among the ten employees of AOD that they have pre-raffled or have randomly chosen to undergo the surprise drug test.

Yesterday afternoon, COSAP also had 10 employees of the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor underwent the same drug test. Utlang has yet to reveal the result.

COSAP had first conducted unannounced drug tests on employees of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office headed by Councilor Dave Tumulak in February where one of the employees tested positive.

COSAP had also conducted the same test in seven barangays so far as requested by the village chiefs.

The latest barangay to undergo the surprise drug test was Barangay Pulangbato last Sunday.

Interestingly, Utlang said none of the 62 barangay officials and employees tested positive of illegal drugs, considering the fact that Pulangbato has been identified by the Cebu City Police Office as one of the drug-infested areas in the city.

In fact, Utlang said Pulangbato is the first barangay to receive a drug-free seal from COSAP.

“Gi-make sure man gud ni kapitan na bisan sa mga empleyado na man lang niya, wala’y positibo sa drugs,” said the COSAP chief.

Other barangays that underwent the same test was Apas, Mabolo, Cambinocot, Binaliw, Tinago, and Tisa, where 14 of their employees tested positive of shabu.

Utlang said COSAP has conducted a pre-raffling of the names of those who shall undergo the drug test among City Hall employees.

“Nakatabang sad mi nila nga di musuyop kay di man sila musuyop ron kay basin naa’y drug test, ug di pud sila musuyop sa mga musunod nga adlaw. So maka-realize sila nga pwede diay nga di musuyop hangtod maanad na sila,” said Utlang.

She said those who tested positive may be terminated from their wok while the barangay captains have the power to terminate their employees who also tested positive of drugs.

Utlang said though that the workers may be given another chance and COSAP will be assisting them by providing them with a rehabilitation program.

The City Legal Office is now looking into the case of those who tested positive. —(FREEMAN)