Lopez’s second drug test won’t be honored

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention will not honor the result of the second drug screening that Busay Barangay Captain Amilo Lopez had undergone and tested negative of illegal drug use.

“Di nako i-honor ang result kay based sa guidelines sa crime lab ug bisan sa PDEA, 2-3 days ra gyud na dapat ang effect sa illegal drugs,” Dr. Alice Utlang, COSAP head, said.

She said Lopez informed her last Tuesday that he got a negative result in the drug test he took in a private laboratory in the city last Monday.

To recall, Lopez was the one who tested positive of using shabu in last week’s surprise drug test conducted by COSAP among 59 of the city’s 80 barangay captains.

“So kung nigamit ka karon, ini’g Lunes or next week ana di na na ma-determine kay urine testing ra man atong capacity. Very crucial gyud na nato ang days ug hours mao gani nga ang same urine sample nga atong gikuha sa iyaha last week mao ra sad ang i-test for confirmatory (result),” Utlang said.

She said the first urine sample of Lopez was already sent to Manila for confirmatory test.

Utlang said Lopez has already declared all his medicines which he thinks have contributed to the drug result.

“Hinuon niadto naman siya sa lab naka-declare na siya sa iyang mga tambal, ug resita so ato na mapadala for confirmatory ang iyang urine sample sa Manila. Two weeks to one month ang result ato kay daghan man gi-process ang Manila tungod aning Tokhang so maghuwat lang ta and we will see,” Utlang said.

Sought for comment, Lopez maintained that he does not use illegal drugs, adding that he may have been a victim of politics.

“Na-shock ko nganong nagpositibo ko nga bisan og baho man lang gali anang mga iligal nga drugas (wala ko),” he said.

Saying that he is happy with the negative result of the recent drug test, Lopez said he is planning to file complaint over the COSAP drug test result.

He said he had the drug test in a private hospital in the city past 1 p.m. last Monday and got the result last Tuesday.

“Akong gitawagan si Dr. Utlang. Kahibawo na sila. Wala nakoy mahimo kun dili nila i-honor (ang bag-ong resulta). Siyempre barogan nila (ang ilang resulta) kay mauwawan sila,” he said.

Lopez said he will consult his lawyers in filing a complaint against the people behind the leaking of his name because the news reports have ruined his reputation.

Nagplano ko nga mokiha ko. Wala pa kahibawo kinsa. Mokiha og mokiha ko kay gipakauwawan gyud ko nila,” he added.

Lopez has served Busay as barangay tanod for 16 years, three consecutive terms as barangay councilman, and is currently in his first term as barangay captain.

He is convinced that his three maintenance medicines he took before the drug test might have contributed to COSAP’s drug test result.

Sought for comment, Utlang said it is the right of Lopez to file a complaint.

“It’s his right but dili kami sa COSAP ang nagpahibalo na siya ang na-positive,” Utlang said.

Ultang said Lopez should have not answered the questions when sought out by reporters about the result.

“Siya maoy nag-ukay sa iyang baho kay nagpa-presscon. I even advised him not to tell others when I called him kay dili pa na confirmed. I told him na just go to the lab to butang sa form iyang mga meds nga iya giinom kay niingon siya daghan siya tambal giinom,” she said. (FREEMAN)