AT LEAST 115 Lapu-Lapu City Hall job order employees and traffic enforcers were subjected to a surprise random drug testing Monday morning, January 22, 2024, at the City Hall atrium hall.
Mayor Junard Chan said the activity would determine if employees are clean from illegal drug use as mandated by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to maintain a drug-free workplace.
Chan also issued Executive Order 35 in 2019, mandating the strict implementation of a drug-free workplace policy across all departments and offices of the City Government.
Chan ordered the random drug testing for City Traffic Management System (CTMS) and the City Mayor Office, including drivers and marshals.
The City of Lapu-Lapu Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (Closap) executive director Garry Lao said he also instructed 13 staff from his office to undergo a surprise drug test, including from the office of the city administrator and Human Resource Development Office.
"The move is to ensure that employees remain drug-free, citing the need for a drug-free workforce to ensure public safety," Lao said.
Since the establishment of Closap in 2019, over 50 employees at the City Hall were terminated for using illegal drugs.
In May 2023, around 27 on-the-job (OJT) traffic enforcers and 190 enforcers also underwent a drug test, and they yielded negative results.
In 2019 and 2020, seven and four traffic enforcers, respectively, were terminated from their positions after testing positive for illegal drug use.
In 2022, six personnel from CTMS were found positive for illegal drug use.
There are close to 5,000 employees at the city hall.
"The aim of the drug testing is to ensure that they are drug-free," Lao said. (PR)