Negros Occidental Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II confirmed Wednesday, December 13, that eight employees of the provincial government have tested positive for drug use.
Diaz said seven have tested positive for methamphetamine use or shabu, while one tested positive for marijuana.
No elected public official was tested positive, Diaz also said.
The 20 other employees have "gray" results and they will undergo confirmatory drug testing with the eight positive employees.
He said that they will determine the respective offices of the employees who were tested positive and also their positions.
For job orders and contract of service employees who tested positive, their contracts will not be renewed in January, while regular employees will face administrative sanctions.
A total of 2,300 of the 3,000 employees of the provincial Capitol underwent drug testing earlier this week. Diaz said that personnel belonging to provincial government-run hospitals will be tested next.*