13 City Hall job hires flunk drug test

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

The Iloilo City Government on Monday confirmed that 13 job hires tested positive for illegal drugs, and Mayor Jerry Treñas said they will not be rehired until they yield negative results.

The 13 job hires, who were part of the 2,068 City Hall workers who underwent testing, include 11 who were positive for methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) and 2 for marijuana.

In a press conference Monday, Treñas reiterated that the workers’ contracts would be terminated, and they would be reported to the city police.

They can only be rehired if they undergo and hurdle drug rehabilitation and test negative for drug use.

“What we did was terminate them and report them [to the police] and told them that if they could go to rehab, submit a negative drug test, then they can return to the service,” the mayor said.

“There was this [worker under Beautification Program head] Ninda Atinado, a driver, who wanted to continue his service, but you know, if they test positive [for illegal drugs], we no longer get them. We terminated him, and if he’s already [tested] negative, then he can come back,” he added.

Treñas also announced that once they have completed testing of the job hires at city hall, they will move on to testing barangay officials.

Many of the 3,000 to 4,000 job hires at the city government include traffic aides and street sweepers, among others.

The mass drug testing of job hires and contract-of-service workers is mandated by Executive Order (EO) No. 05, series of 2023, which the mayor issued in January.

The EO cited Republic Act No. 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, as amended), and administrative regulations including Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation No. 2, Series of 2004, and Civil Service Commission Memorandum Circular No. 13, Series of 2010.