36 capitol employees up for confirmatory drug test

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – A total of 36 employees will be subjected to confirmatory tests for the use of illegal drugs after the two-day mandatory drug test conducted by the provincial government for all its employees.

After an initial result of eight employees who tested positive twelve more registered the same.

This brings to 20 the total number of provincial government employees who tested positive for illegal drug use.

Of the 36 persons, 19 tested positive for the use of shabu and one for marijuana, after the two-day mandatory drug testing on December 11 and 12.

Provincial Administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz also revealed that drug testing results indicated that 16 other capitol employees had faint traces of shabu use.

All the 36 employees will be subjected to confirmatory tests, Diaz added.

He also said that more than 2,300 provincial government employees, including elected officials, were subjected to drug testing in compliance with the memorandum order issued by the Civil Service Commission.

Those employees that tested positive for illegal drug use will face sanctions, Diaz stressed.

He added that job orders, contract of service and casual employees who test positive for illegal drugs will not be renewed for 2024, while regular employees will face administrative charges.

Diaz also said the provincial government will have to procure additional drug test kits to cover capitol employees working in provincial government-run hospitals.

On his part, governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said that when the report is final “we will deal with the violators accordingly.”