Friday, March 28, 2008 More City Hall workers found positive of drugs
THE number of persons found positive for illegal drugs use by the Cebu City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (Cosap) for the first quarter this year already surpassed that in 2007.
The difference, though, could not serve yet as gauge that more government workers are into drugs, as drug testing has been intensified this year.
“Out of the 80 barangays, majority of the officials are new, so new tanods, new garbage collectors. Maong sige ang (That’s why the constant) drug testing,” said Joeling Lazarte, Cosap executive assistant.
The Cosap, with the office of City Councilor Augustus Pe Jr., has conducted drug testing on officials and workers of seven barangays and the City Modern Abattoir from January to March.
Dependents
And excluding the seven private butchers who were found positive for drug use, eight barangay tanods and clean and green workers were also discovered to be drug dependents.
Last year, 12 persons were found to be drug users, but 11 were private butchers at the abattoir. The 12th person was a government teacher, who was already fired, Lazarte said.
Five persons were discovered to be drug dependents both in 2006 and 2005.
Lazarte said that this year, the barangays are the drug testing targets, as the new barangay officials also hire new faces to serve as tanods, garbage collectors, and other personnel.
So far this year, Cosap found 15 persons to be drug users.
Laboratory
Last Monday night, 35 Basak Pardo employees and officials, including Barangay Captain Dave Tumulak, underwent drug testing.
One garbage collector tested positive, and his urine sample will be sent to the PNP Crime Laboratory 7 for confirmation.
Lazarte said a Carreta barangay tanod tested positive of shabu use last Jan. 7, while a Capitol Site garbage collector tested positive last Jan. 14.
A Barangay Apas garbage collector was discovered to be using marijuana last Jan. 16, while two Hipodromo garbage collectors were also found to be hooked on drugs last March 10.
Last March 17, two Tejero barangay tanods tested positive of illegal drugs use.
Only the drug test made on Barangay Mabolo officials and employees yielded negative results.
The seven abattoir butchers found positive of shabu use last Feb. 28 have already been barred from the slaughterhouse.
Lazarte said barangay leaders should have their workers undergo drug testing, as it would be hypocritical on their part to campaign against the ills of illegal drug use when they or their employees are also drug users. (RHM)
