Mayor warns City Hall employees anew vs illegal drugs

By John Noel E. Herrera

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas has again issued a stern warning against all City Hall employees who are into illegal drugs.

Treñas particularly stressed that regular employees should not expect any help from the city government if they are caught being involved with illegal drugs, and vowed no tolerance for all who violate laws, rules, and regulations for public servants.

“Sa regular employees, kung madakop ka, do not expect any support from the city government and we will file administrative charges against you, which may lead to your termination, kay ang diri ‘ya, hindi lang user, kundi nagabaligya gid,” he said in an interview.

This, after one regular City Hall employee, identified as Carlos Agado Elizado, was nabbed in an anti-illegal drug operation on March 2, 2023.

The police report stated that the 40-year-old Agado, classified as a high-value individual, was arrested after selling to a suspected police poseur-buyer one plastic sachet of suspected shabu for P6,800.

The city mayor also said that the city government will file administrative charges against Agado and will face the consequences of his misconduct.

“We are very serious about this (campaign against illegal drugs). He will not expect any help from us and he will have to suffer the consequences. Bahala siya da, we will also file administrative charges against him,” Treñas said.

The nabbed regular employee will be subjected to disciplinary/administrative proceedings, including, but not limited to, termination of contract, and those provided by law.

When asked if he would include regular employees in the city government’s random drug testing, Treñas said there might be “some gray areas in it.”

“May gray areas na. Sa ano ya (job hires), pwede naton ma-force ang mga job hires kay casuals sila, pero ang sa regular employees, te they have to voluntarily submit to a drug test, so we will see,” Treñas said.

Prior to the arrest of Agado, 13 job hires had already tested positive for illegal drug use and their contracts were terminated, according to Treñas.

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 two for marijuana.

The random drug testing of job hires and contract-of-service (CoS) workers in City Hall is mandated by EO No. 5 s. 2023, which Trenas issued last January 2023.