By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The local government unit of San Carlos City in Negros Occidental also held a series of random drug tests among its employees on Monday, July 17.

Forty employees of the city engineering department underwent drug testing under the supervision of the San Carlos City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (SCCADAC).

SCCADAC Secretary Ana Liza Macaraya said they want to find out if there are city government employees who are into illegal drugs.

Macaraya added the random drug test was in accordance with the mandate of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) that all government offices and its employees should be drug-free.

Meanwhile, San Carlos City Mayor Renato Gustilo said the employees will receive drug test results through letter.

If tested positive, the employee will be placed under Drug Dependency Examination (DDE).

The individual will undergo a six-month counseling program or confinement to a drug rehabilitation center.

Disciplinary action would also be given depending on the result of the DDE and based on the CSC’s regulations.

Meanwhile, job order employees who tested positive will immediately be fired from their posts.

However, they will be given a chance to undergo a community-based drug rehabilitation program.

Gustilo said those who choose the option to undergo drug rehabilitation will be given a chance to work with the city government again after completion.

Earlier this year, three city government employees tested positive after a random drug test.

The two opted for rehabilitation, while the other resigned.

The city also plans to subject all of its employees to a random drug test as some are still using illegal drugs within their workforce.

Gustilo said their hard-earned salaries are spent for illegal drugs, which only harms them in the end.

He also told them to put an end to using drugs./DGB, WDJ