THE Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) said none of its personnel have tested positive for illegal drug use in the past two years, reinforcing its commitment to internal cleansing and accountability within the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Police Lieutenant Colonel Mercy Dinglasa Villaro, MCPO spokesperson, said the office regularly conducts mandatory drug testing among police officers assigned not only at the headquarters but also across different stations in the city.
“So far, none for this year. Some conduct mandatory drug testing on our personnel. So far, no one has tested positive. So that’s why we will continue conducting drug testing on our personnel and also to different stations in their areas, not only in headquarters,” said Villaro.
She said that in the event any personnel tests positive, the sample will be forwarded to the crime laboratory for confirmatory testing. If the result is confirmed positive, administrative action will follow, including the recommendation for dismissal from service.
The MCPO is targeting 100 percent coverage of its drug testing program.
Villaro said that while almost all personnel have undergone testing, two have yet to complete the requirement.
Some officers, however, have already been tested multiple times within the year due to promotions, training applications, or inclusion in the random testing schedule.
“That is part of the internal cleansing of the PNP which continues as part of the PNP’s fight against illegal drugs in our communities. We also conduct drug testing on personnel so we can know if our own personnel are involved in drug activities,” said Villaro.
She said the internal drug testing program is part of the PNP’s dual responsibility to combat illegal drugs in communities while ensuring that its own ranks remain free of involvement.
“Our internal side in the PNP is also clean because that is one of our functions in combination with the PDEA to fight against illegal drugs,” she said.
While there were positive cases detected in past years, none have been recorded in 2024 and 2025, a development that Villaro described as a sign of improvement.
“We had some positives but not this year, those were from the past years. So for last year and this year, we have zero from our personnel which is really improving,” she said.
As of September 2025, Villaro confirmed that five personnel still have not undergone drug testing, although the majority have already completed the requirement, with some even undergoing testing two to three times.
“Our personnel are not all the same. For me, I was only tested once this year, but some of our personnel were tested twice already. However, there are still five personnel as of today who have not yet undergone testing. That is why some have already taken it twice or thrice because they applied for promotion or for trainings,” Villaro said.
The Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco) serves as the conducting unit for the laboratory testing of samples taken from police personnel.
Villaro assured that the MCPO will continue to pursue its goal of achieving full compliance for all its members.
“That is still included in the entry of personnel being tested, but there is a big possibility that there are still personnel and uniformed personnel who have not undergone testing this year because it is not yet 100 percent. Some are being tested repeatedly. Soco is the one that conducts it in our laboratory office,” she said.
The MCPO reiterated that its campaign against illegal drugs extends beyond enforcement in communities. By ensuring its own force is free from illegal drug involvement, the MCPO aims to strengthen public trust and demonstrate accountability within the ranks of the PNP. (ABC)