By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga 

A job order (JO) employee at the San Carlos City local government unit (LGU) in Negros Occidental is in “hot water” after he tested positive for illegal drugs.

This comes after the San Carlos City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (SCCADAC) conducted a random drug test among city government employees on Monday, July 17.

City Mayor Renato Gustilo refused to identify the employee and the department where he belongs.

The results have since been forwarded to the City Health Office for further assessment.

Gustilo said the employee may undergo drug rehabilitation, but if he refuses, he will be immediately removed from the service.

The mayor clarified that the drug test result does not require a confirmatory test because the JO employee is not covered by the Civil Service Law.

If a regular employee tests positive for illegal drugs, he will also be given the chance to undergo rehabilitation.

However, he will face administrative charges or may voluntarily resign if he refuses.

On Monday, SCCADAC Secretary Ana Liza Macaraya said they want to find out if there are any city employees who are using illegal drugs.

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

The city plans to subject all its employees to a random drug test after reports cited there are still some who use illegal drugs within their workforce.

Gustilo advises them to put an end to using illegal drugs. 

He added that their hard-earned salaries are spent on illegal drugs, which only harms them in the end./DGB, WDJ