Bartolome orders random drug tests on Metro cops

MANILA, Philippines - All 17,000 police officers of the National Capital Region Police Office will be subjected to random drug tests after two Caloocan lawmen were caught on video reportedly sniffing shabu, NCRPO chief Director Nicanor Bartolome said yesterday.

“The drug tests will be random and unannounced; it will be done any time of the day and night. The tests will cover everyone – officers, non-commissioned personnel and our civilian employees. No one will be exempt,” Bartolome said.

The video, which featured Police Officers 1 Antonio Carmona and Elvin Tabora, prompted Bartolome to order the drug testing of police officers from Caloocan City.

Carmona and Tabora tested negative for drug use while two others, PO2 Armando Jimenez and PO3 Hermil Lumba, tested positive. Carmona, Jimenez and Lumba are from Police Community Precinct 6, while Tabora is from PCP 17 of the Caloocan City police.

After Jimenez and Lumba tested positive for drug use, Bartolome ordered the relief of their superior officer, Inspector Albert Ebdane, head of PCP 6. Ebdane will be charged administratively because of command responsibility, the NCRPO chief said.

 “I will not tolerate any misdeeds of any of my personnel,” said Bartolome.

Police officers from Mandaluyong as well as Makati and other cities under the Southern Police District have been subjected to random drug testing.

Top Quezon City Police District officials yesterday submitted themselves to a drug test “to set an example down the line,” QCPD director Chief Superintendent Benjardi Mantele said.

QCPD crime laboratory chief Superintendent Jesus Bacani said results of the drug tests will be out in three days, and limited to detecting shabu and marijuana.  – With Aie Balagtas See, Jerry Botial