‘YIELD OR GET JAILED’: Top cop threatens to arrest gov’t workers who flunked drug test

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – “Mag voluntary surrender kayong lahat. Poposasan ko ang mga iyan.”

This was the warning of Police Colonel Noel Aliño, director of Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), to government employees here who recently tested positive for illegal drug use.

Aliño said that these employees are now under investigation.

“Magkusa sila. Kung ayaw nila isubject ko sila sa monitoring. Pag makakuha ng evidence, huhulihin ko ang mga iyan,” Aliño said.

He, however, noted that these persons still have a chance to change.

Aliño said the government has a drug rehabilitation program that can help them improve their well-being.

“It’s time na mag voluntary surrender sila sa akin,” he added.

He also warned them to cooperate with the police to identify the source of the illegal drugs they used.

Aliño’s words echoed the Tokhang style of the Duterte administration in quelling the illegal drug problem.

Tokhang is a combination of the Visayan words toktok (knock) and hangyo (ask), referring to the policy of the PNP to ask persons involved in drugs to surrender. Refusal to yield would lead to arrest via buy-bust or search operations.

As of August 2, a total of 53 city government workers, including four regular employees, and 49 job order casual employees flunked the series of random drug tests conducted from July 28 to August 1.

Of the 53 “flunkers”, 32 personnel, including four regular employees, were from the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO), and 21 workers were from the Public Order and Safety Office (POSO).

A total of 282 BTAO personnel and 381 POSO personnel underwent testing.

Retired Police Brigadier General Primitivo Tabujara Jr., the city’s anti-drug program coordinator, earlier 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 government workers are allegedly using illegal drugs.