Drug positive Capitol workers allowed to report for now

CEBU, Philippines - The six Capitol workers assigned at the Cebu Provincial Hospital in Carcar City who were found positive of drug use during a surprise drug screening on Wednesday are still allowed to work, pending the results of confirmatory test.

Joey Herrera, executive director of the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Commission, said he has yet to discuss the matter with the provincial administrator, lawyer Mark Tolentino, since the province "could not act yet for the sanctions basing only on the screening."

Tolentino also heads the Capitol's Committee on Discipline and Investigation.

He added that it would take almost a month to get the confirmatory test's results.

Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III, for his part, said he still has to wait for the confirmation before he could impose appropriate sanctions against the six workers.

In a 2010 memorandum of the Civil Service Commission which provides the "Guidelines for a Drug-free Workplace in the Bureaucracy", two testing methods should be employed. These are  the screening test which will determine the positive results, as well as the drug used, and the confirmatory test which will substantiate the positive screening test.

Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 provides that any officer or employee found positive of dangerous drugs use shall be dealt with administratively, the offense being a ground for suspension or termination, subject to the provisions of the Labor Code and the Civil Service Law.

Davide remains firm in his position to weed out of Capitol employees who are drug users, saying they have no place in the provincial government.

"They have to face the consequences. Basta my policy is any provincial government worker, if they are found positive, they have to go," he told reporters, adding that casual and regular employees will be subjected to investigation.

To date, a total of 15 Capitol employees were already removed from office after testing positive of drug use and results validated by confirmatory testing.

In a separate interview, Provincial Health Officer Cynthia Genosolango reiterated the governor's stand to wait for the confirmatory test. However, she said her office will request the six hospital workers to go on leave.

"We will abide by the guidelines and forward it (matter) to the CODI… We still have to discuss details with the Chief of Hospitals as we at PHO still have to get official report from Dr. (Olivia) Dandan, the Chief of Hospitals of CPH-Carcar," Genosolango told The FREEMAN.  —  Michael Vencynth H. Braga/JMD (FREEMAN)