THE Provincial Board (PB) asked the Department of Education (DepEd) 7 to issue a memorandum, urging public school teachers to submit themselves to a random drug test.
The PB approved a resolution authored by PB Member Arleigh Sitoy on the matter, following a report that a school head in Badian is hooked on illegal drugs.
Sitoy said the incident is alarming. He said teachers are supposed to be the second parents of students and they should set an example.
He said the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Commission already informed DepEd 7 about their concern, but the agency has yet to act on their request.
The PB approved a separate resolution asking private schools and universities to conduct drug tests among their teachers and employees.
Cause for concern
“It is an alarming fact that some educators who are supposedly entrusted with the students’ welfare and should serve as an example of morality that should teach them valuable life’s lessons are the same ones misleading them,” Sitoy said.
Last May 27, Reynante Aliñabon was caught in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Poblacion, Badian.
Aliñabon used to be the principal of Santicon Elementary School in Badian.
Aliñabon was caught after operatives of the Provincial Intelligence Branch, Provincial Anti-illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group and the Badian police conducted an operation against suspected drug pusher Niño James Pondoc.
Pondoc and Aliñabon were arrested along with three other drug suspects.
Meanwhile, Dr. Marcial Degamo, DepEd 7 chief administrative officer and officer-in-charge, told Sun.Star Cebu that he agrees with Sitoy’s proposal.
He said it will remind teachers of their obligation to their students.
“Para nako uyon ko para ma-check gyud ang atong mga teachers and school heads kay modelo man ta labe na magtudlo tag mga bata (After all, teachers and school heads serve as role models for the children so they should be drug-free),” Degamo said.
He said they used to conduct random drug tests among teachers in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Cebu City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention.
He said he had no idea why the program was stopped.
Degamo also urged local government units to support the agency when it implements surprise drug tests in public schools.