By Mae Singuay

The Bacolod City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC) said an additional seven employees of the city government were tested positive for illegal drugs.

This was added to the 46 city government workers who tested positive for illegal drug use during the five-day random drug testing from July 28 to August 1.

Primitivo Tabujara, CADAC coordinator and focal person, said of the total 53 employees, 32 were from Bacolod Traffic Authority Office and 21 were from the Public Order and Safety Office (POSO).

He added the number of positive employees may increase due to the continued drug testing for regular and job order (JO) employees in the city government.

“May instruction si Mayor [Alfredo Albelardo Benitez], padayunon ang drug test sa tanan nga employees in random, kay may mga information from the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency nga may ara employees nga nagagamit sang illegal drugs,” Tabujara, also the head of POSO, said.

Based on data provided to members of the media, 46 JO and regular city government employees tested positive for shabu and marijuana.

Meanwhile, Benitez said drug-positive regular employees will be subjected to due process, while the JOs will be terminated.

He also urged other city officials and employees to undergo drug testing to prove that they are free from illegal drug use.

Tabujara said a confirmatory test would be conducted for those who tested positive.

The CADAC has recommended Benitez to conduct drug use assessment for drug-positive employees, with the inclusion of drug rehabilitation and other intervention treatment programs.

Those who successfully undergo the program, after the rigid assessment, will have a chance for re-employment, the CADAC said./MS, WDJ