DURING the ISpeak Media Forum held on Thursday morning, September 21, at the City Mayor's Office, Chief Dionisio Abude of the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) expressed his concern regarding the office's reputation following an employee's arrest due to a violation of Republic Act 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Abude, however, emphasized that the involved enforcer must face the consequences of his violation as he had broken the law.
“Naguol ko kay tungod ang kaning nadakpan kay naa sa amoang opisina, in fact naa man gani gitan-aw namo ang records naa mi stern warning dili kay tungod sa droga na among impormasyon kundi naay complain with regards sa iyang behavior (I am troubled by the fact that the person apprehended is one of our own, and in fact, upon reviewing our records, we found that he had received a stern warning not related to drugs but due to a complaint regarding his behavior),” Abude said.
He further revealed that the enforcer had come close to being dismissed previously because of his conduct, and he speculated that his erratic behavior might be linked to involvement in drugs.
“Sad to say lang na tungod ang atoang opisina City Transport and Traffic Management Office personahe mao ang na involve (Unfortunately, this incident involves someone from our office, the City Transport and Traffic Management Office),” Abude said.
He underscored that the enforcer had been automatically terminated from his position despite having served the CTTMO for six years.
The agency has already conducted a random drug test with the Anti-Drug Council of the City Government of Davao. CTTMO expressed that future applicants for the position will also be required to undergo drug testing to ensure that they are not involved in or using any form of drugs.
According to a preliminary report from the City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) around 2:46 a.m. on September 21, a CTTMO traffic enforcer named Edwin B. Pabilan, aged 31, was apprehended along Quimpo Boulevard, Purok 33, Barangay 76-A through an Anti-Illegal Drug Operation or buy-bust operation. Subsequently, the suspect and the evidence were taken to the CDEU detention center. RGP