Banilad execs, workers undergo drug screening

CEBU, Philippines - Seventy-six officials and employees of Barangay Banilad underwent yesterday a surprise drug test by the Cebu City Office for Substance Abuse and Prevention yesterday.

Aside from elected officials, the barangays lupon members, tanods, traffic aides, administrative staff, drivers, barangay health workers, day care workers, garbage loaders, street cleaners, caretakers, and barangay environmental workers were among those who submitted urine samples for the screening.

COSAP Chief Alice Utlang said Banilad was the fourth barangay this year that coordinated with her office for the drug test after Poblacion Pardo, Malubog, and Talamban.

She said two COSAP staff members and five employees of a private laboratory, which she declined to name, facilitated the drug test, which is part of the city’s effort to make the barangays drug-free.

For 2017, officials and workers of 18 of Cebu City’s 80 barangays already underwent the drug test. They are Poblacion Pardo, Basak Pardo, Bulacao, Sawang Calero, Suba, Pasil, Duljo-Fatima, Malubog, Bonbon, Inayawan, Basak San Nicolas, Quiot, Cogon Pardo, Sta Cruz, Pahina Central, Sambag I, Sambag II, and Talamban.

The barangays with positive results are Poblacion Pardo (six),  Suba (three), Talamban (three), Basak San Nicolas (seven), Sambag I (eight), Pahina Central (three), and one each in Sta Cruz, Cogon Pardo, and Quiot.

Utlang said all results were subjected to confirmatory test in Manila. A barangay employee whose urine sample shows the same result in the confirmatory test would be fired from his job and made to undergo COSAP’s rehabilitation program. If he recovers from the addiction, the city would assess if he is worthy to be hired back.

“I-rehab pud but taktak una.  Human sa rehab they will have a chance to go back,” she told The FREEMAN.

Result of the confirmatory test takes three weeks or a month. The city government has set aside P1 million as drug test budget for 2017.

Utlang said the result of yesterday’s drug test would be out today. —/ RHM (FREEMAN)