Union official claims there were earlier suspicions of drug links

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Following the recent drug-related arrest of Francisco Nuñal, an employee of the Negros Occidental Provincial Accounting Office, Negros Occidental Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson affirmed the suspect will face dismissal proceedings.

“If [the charges are] proven positive, he will bear the consequences—like dismissal,” the vice governor stated. “They know that it is illegal [and] that is why we should not be soft.”

Over the weekend, Nuñal, alongside Waren Abalos and Marvic Diolay, were arrested in a police operation after the suspects handed over one sachet of suspected shabu in exchange for P500.

Aside from the drugs, which were worth around P150,000, police also seized drug paraphernalia and an improvised .45 caliber pistol from the suspects.

According to Progressive Alliance of Capitol Employees President Venchito Magalona, they had long suspected Nuñal was associated with illegal drugs.

Last March, two Negros Occidental provincial government employees who had previously tested positive for drugs quit their posts. According to Provincial Human Resource Management head, Atty. Annabelle Palic, the two did not provide specific reasons as to why they tendered their resignations.

The two employees, a male and a female, were part of the 697 provincial government employees subjected to random drug test last October./DGB, WDJ