70 Iloilo police officers test negative for drug use

By Jennifer P. Rendon 

None of the 70 police-commissioned officers (PCOs) of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) who underwent a surprise drug test on Oct 15, 2022 were positive for prohibited substances.

Colonel Noel Aliño, Iloilo police chief, said he received the result Tuesday, Oct 25, from the Regional Forensic Unit 6.

“I’m just glad that the test yielded negative result for every one of us. Kung sakaling may nag-positive, poposasan ko kaagad,” Aliño said.

Those who submitted themselves to the test included Aliño himself, the 43 chiefs of police, key officers of the IPPO headquarters and their assistants, and commanders of mobile force companies undergo the drug test.

The province’s top cop said he is more confident now with none of his subordinate commanders who were found to be into illegal drugs use.

“But we would still do this regularly, to include even police non-commissioned officers,” he said.

For personnel assigned to the provincial drug enforcement units (PDEUs) and intelligence units, drug testing will be conducted regularly.

Aliño said the move is in consonance with the PNP Internal Cleansing Program.

Even in his past assignments, Aliño said he has been ordering the conduct of drug testing.

“We want to have moral ascendancy. We couldn’t possibly enforce the laws if were not following them ourselves,” he said.

Aliño said that initiatives like the conduct of drug test is about leading by example.