A BARANGAY official in Lapu-Lapu City has been suspended for six months without pay after being proven positive in a random drug test conducted by the City of Lapu-Lapu Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (Closap).
The City Government did not disclose the identity, position, or any information that could lead to the barangay official.
Garry Lao, Closap executive director, told reporters on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, that after the confirmatory results came out on July 23, through Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan’s order, Lao recommended the barangay official to undergo a drug rehabilitation program and vacate his position for six months without pay.
Lao added that the barangay official had already submitted his form for leave and leave of absence to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the barangay last Aug. 2.
“We already communicated to that barangay when the confirmatory test results came out. I also informed the City’s Department of the Interior and Local Government. When I informed the mayor, he told me to make a recommendation,” said Lao in a mix of Cebuano and English.
The random drug testing was conducted in the first week of June during the barangay’s regular session.
The City Ordinance with the title, “Drug-Free Workplace Ordinance in the Lapu-Lapu City Government and Providing Sanctions for Violators Thereof” states that any official is required to undergo a mandatory six-month treatment and rehabilitation program in any government rehabilitation center once found to be positive for the use of prohibited drugs.
Moreover, Section 8 of the ordinance outlines that officials or employees shall also be suspended from work without pay.
Lao also stressed that if the barangay official refuses to undergo the six-month drug rehabilitation, he will be sanctioned to dismissal from the service. Refusal to undergo drug rehabilitation for a local official who tested positive for drug use is also equivalent to grave misconduct under the CSC, which is also stipulated in Section 8 of the ordinance.
The Closap executive director also calls on all public officials and personnel to stay away from drugs, as the City is serious about the fight against drug use.
“If they get caught, we will impose on what is stated in the law. Let’s stay away from drugs because there is nothing good out of it,” he added.
Ordinance 16-140-2024, which is in accordance with sections 47 and 48 of the Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, advocates for a drug-free workplace. / DPC