THE Philippine National Police has conducted a random drug test in Cagayan de Oro Police Office (Cocpo) on Wednesday, December 13, as part of their anti-illegal drugs campaign all over Mindanao.
Cocpo spokesperson Mardy Hortillosa said they expected about 300 personnel of Cocpo to be tested on Wednesday, adding that the first to undergo the drug test was the City Police Director Robert Roy Bahian, represented as "leadership by example."
"Kung kaya sa atung city director nga magpa drug test sa iyang kaugalingon, dapat tanan nga mga personnel under sa iya magpa drug test pod (If the city director went through the drug test, all his personnel should do the same)," Hortillosa said.
He added that those who refused to be tested will have to justify it with their reasons and if they are not valid, administrative charges will be filed against them and they will be labelled as someone involved in illegal drugs.
Hortillosa said there were three reported drug users this year among the police force with their cases still on process in the court.
The random drug test, Hortillosa said, is to prove that Cocpo is not against the anti-illegal drugs campaign of President Rodrigo Duterte and to show that the police officers are not using illegal drugs.
"Kami man ang usa sa gitahasan nga mag conduct sa anti-illegal drugs campaign, dapat among ipakita pod nga naa mi moral ascendancy, nga dili mi ma isyu nga naga involve mi sa ginadili nga droga (The police are one of the personnel entasked to conduct the anti-illegal drugs campaign, we have to show everyone that we have the moral ascendancy, that we are not involved in illegal drugs)," Hortillosa said.
He said the result of the drug test will be given three days after the test, adding that police officers who received positive results in the drug test will undergo confirmatory test.
Under the confirmatory test, the police officers will be re-examined and if the result is negative, then they will have to give their statements to justify the supposed error in their first drug test, Hortillosa added.
According to Hortillosa, there were 36 suspected police personnel all over the country whose drug test resulted positive. Among the suspected police personnel, 29 of them were proven and dismissed as drug users. (With Cyrill Garcia, USTP intern/SunStar CDO)