Mandaue cop ‘using’ illegal drugs

CEBU, Philippines - A policeman has tested positive for illegal drugs use after the Mandaue City Police Office initiated a surprise drug test at its headquarters around 8 a.m. yesterday.

Police Senior Superintendent Jonathan Cabal, MCPO chief, said they would submit the policeman’s urine sample to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-7 for confirmation.

“We have some raw information (that he uses drugs) but, of course, it has to be validated. If raw information, we cannot simply rely on them. We need evidence to prosecute them,” Cabal said.

He said the sudden drug test was a requirement and in response to a Police Regional Office-7 standing order that their force should be drug-free.

 “Anti-illegal drugs personnel should be drug-free. For them to implement the law, they should be the first one to really be cleaned and free from (illegal) drugs,” Cabal said.

The Station Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group (SAIDSOTG) policemen gathered at the headquarters supposedly for a seminar, unaware of the surprise drug test conducted by the PRO-7 Cybercrime Lab.

Cabal said final results of the test will be out one week from now.

He said 50 showed up while at least 15 failed to undergo the test due to other commitments like court hearings.

Cabal said the 15 policemen were required to submit a letter of explanation. Failure to do so, he said, would cast doubt on the policemen’s reasons.

“It (failure to submit an explanation)creates a doubt….  They are directed to explain within 24 hours why no disciplinary measure shall be meted against them for failure to undergo the test but definitely, they will still undergo the test,” he said.

The drug-test was timely as one of the platforms of presumptive president Rodrigo Duterte is the fight against illegal drugs.

“Tamang-tama din sa pronouncement of the incoming president na he will go hard against these drug users, drug pushers. Policemen who are in drugs have no right to stay in the police organization a minute longer. They will just magnify the problem; they will just contribute to the problem,” Cabal said.

The last time MCPO conducted a surprise drug test was last year. Not one of the 60 policemen tested positive of illegal drugs use that time.  (FREEMAN)