SEPARATE random drug tests conducted by the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office (Cpadao) between April 1 and 22 yielded 11 positive results.
Ten are job-order (JO) traffic enforcers of the Minglanilla Traffic Commission and the other one is an employee of the City of Naga.
The news was confirmed by Cpadao Chief Carmen Remedios Durano-Meca in an interview on Monday, April 29.
“This is still subject to confirmatory test, but it will be up to the concerned local chief executive on what sanctions they will impose,” she said.
Some 247 individuals from different local government units and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) 7 took the drug test last April.
On April 1, Cpadao administered a surprise drug test on the 53 personnel of the BJMP 7 assigned in the province with all of them testing negative.
Some 42 personnel from Barangay Binaliw and another 47 employees from Barangay Quisol, both in Danao City, also tested negative for illegal drug use.
The initial screening in Binaliw was held last April 5, while the random drug test in Quisol was conducted last April 8.
On April 15, 38 traffic enforcers from Mitcom underwent a random drug test with 10 of them testing positive for shabu.
Last April 22, Cpadao administered a surprise drug test on 67 employees of the City of Naga with one positive result.
Mitcom operations chief Israel Abalo said they will not renew the contracts of the 10 JO personnel.
“They will remain on duty until June 30. But right after, they will no longer be allowed to work. We’re afraid that our traffic management duties might be paralyzed because 10 is a big number and traffic in Minglanilla is a top concern,” Abalo said in Cebuano.