THE Sumifru Philippines Corporation belied the reports that the man nabbed in a drug bust of the Buhangin police last September 30 was an employee of the banana firm.
Buhangin police earlier identified the suspect as Noel Patadillo Montecalvo, 33, as an employee of the Sumifru Philippines, and a resident of the Jade Valley Subdivision in Buhangin District, Davao City.
Sumifru-Davao Human Resources Management Department head Geraldine Patanao, in a letter to SunStar Davao on Monday, October 3, said the suspect is not and was never an employee of the company.
A copy of the letter was sent to the Davao City Police Office.
In an investigation conducted by the company, Montecalvo is an employee of the Consolidated Workers Cooperative, a service provider engaged not by Sumifru but by its affiliate—AJMR Port Services Corporation.
Patanao said the Sumifru Philippines fully supports President Rodrigo Duterte in waging war against illegal drugs.
She added it has done all the necessary to support the advocacy of the Duterte administration.
"The firm has done all that is necessary to support this advocacy including, but not limited to, the conduct of random drug testing of its employees and massive information dissemination within its ranks," Patanao said.
Patanao also said this has been institutionalized at Sumifru as a matter of policy, and any employee found to have violated the Republic Act 9165 or The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 will be dismissed after due process.
Montecalvo was arrested around 9:20 p.m., Friday, along Carlos P. Garcia Highway near Panadero after he handed one sachet of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as "shabu," to a policeman who posed as a buyer.
The suspect is currently detained at the Buhangin Police Station and is facing charges for violation of the Republic Act 9165. (ICT)