Two city workers confess: We are illegal drug users

CEBU, Philippines - Likely thinking they would be caught anyway, two Cebu City Hall workers last Tuesday admitted they were drug users prior to the start of a surprise drug test by the Cebu City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention office.

Employees of the Coastal Management Board and the Bantay Dagat Commission were the target of the drug screening, which already netted 46 out of 1,523 tested so far.

Of the 46 city employees, seven confessed to being drug dependents and were asked to enroll in COSAP’s outpatient rehabilitation intervention program.

Last Tuesday, nine CMB and 26 BDC employees were subjected to the screening, except for the two employees. Not one tested positive of illegal drugs use from among them. The two employees were no longer required to submit themselves to the drug test.

“As part of our campaign for a drug-free workplace, we continued with our efforts in conducting drug tests... One employee (each) from Bantay Dagat and CMB voluntarily admitted of using drugs,” said COSAP Chief Alice Utlang, in a telephone interview yesterday.

She said they conducted the surprise drug test on CMB and BDC after receiving reports there are employees of the two offices who were drug users.

The two employees, whose names were already referred to the city’s Human Resource Development Office, were told to go through rehabilitation under COSAP.

“That offer is one way of assisting them. If they would not agree (to undergo rehabilitation), we cannot force them,” said Utlang.

The series of surprise drug tests is mandated under an amended measure that requires the city government’s workforce, including elective officials, to undergo annual random drug test.

City Ordinance 1829, which City Councilor Nestor Archival Sr. authored, aims to ensure “that all those who are in public service and are entrusted with trust are drug free.”— (FREEMAN)