Random drug test: Teacher, 8 others positive for drugs

CEBU, Philippines — One teacher and eight other government employees tested positive for drugs in the most recent random drug tests conducted by the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office (CPADAO) in seven local government units in the province.

CPADAO conducted random drug tests on personnel of police stations, district hospitals, elementary and high schools in the towns of Argao, Consolacion, Pinamungajan, Samboan, and Santander, as well as in the cities of Carcar and Danao.

According to CPADAO Chief Carmen Remedios "Ivy" Durano-Meca, the office had tested close to a thousand government employees from these towns, but only nine tested positive.

Among those who were found positive for drugs were a female teacher from Danao City, a former drug surrenderer from Santander, and seven job order employees from Consolacion.

The nine will be subjected to confirmatory tests since the random drug tests showed only faint traces of illegal drugs.

The schedule of the confirmatory tests has not been disclosed.

No one tested positive from the towns of Argao, Samboan, Pinamungajan, and Carcar City.

In Argao, all 64 hospital staff subjected to the test showed negative.

In Samboan, 212 teachers from public and private schools were also found to be negative. The sample was drawn from 15 elementary and 4 national high schools.

"This is a positive result knowing that out of the 212, wala gyuy nag-positive," remarked Meca.

She added that the results imply that there is a decrease in the supply of illegal drugs especially in the countryside.

Another factor is the increased awareness and commitment of the individuals to stay away from the vice.

Although one teacher was found positive in Danao City, the personnel of the city's police station all tested negative.

Unlike in the other LGUs, the drug test in Carcar City was mandatory. The results showed that all 169 government employees were negative for drug use.

All government employees in Pinamungajan who were subjected to the test also showed negative for drug use.

Meca stressed that it is important for the government employees to maintain a drug-free workplace as the frontline of public services, especially the public school teachers. (FREEMAN)