More gov’t workers test positive for drug use

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Seven more government employees here tested positive for illegal drug use.

This was revealed yesterday by retired police brigadier general Primitivo Tabujara Jr., city’s anti-drug program coordinator.

The local government reported last Tuesday that 46 job order casual government employees, including 17 personnel from the Public Order and Safety Office (POSO) and 29 from the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO) initially tested positive.

In Wednesday’s media interview, Tabujara said that 53 government workers yielded positive results in the series of random drug testing conducted from July 28 to August 1.

Based on the official records that he submitted to Mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez yesterday, Tabujara said that of the 53 workers, 32 BTAO personnel, including four regular employees, or 11.35 percent, tested positive; while 21 POSO workers, or 5.51 percent, also flunked the test.

Tabujara said that 282 BTAO personnel and 381 POSO personnel, totaling 705 underwent drug testing.

As part of the procedure, he said that the names of POSO personnel who tested positive were held in the meantime.

For recommendations, Tabujara said they will conduct an interview among those who tested positive, pending the release of their confirmatory test results from the Department of Health (DOH)-6.

He said that a general assessment will be held on August 10, as these workers will be assessed if they are classified as low-risk, moderate, or mild.

The third recommendation is the inclusion of the city’s rehabilitation and intervention program or termination of duty and services.

For regular employees, Tabujara said that sanctions will depend on the rules of the Civil Service Commission (CSC).

He said that drug testing among government employees will continue after they received information from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the local police that some of them are allegedly using illegal drugs.