By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Eight employees of the Negros Occidental provincial government have tested positive for drug use, provincial administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz confirmed yesterday.

Diaz said seven employees have tested positive for methamphetamine or shabu, while one tested positive for marijuana.

Twenty employees have been tagged as “gray,” and they will undergo confirmatory drug tests along with the eight employees.

“It is still premature until we get the results of confirmatory tests, which we expect to be released within the week,” Diaz said.

However, Diaz refused to state the status or identities of the employees in question, and from what department in the Provincial Capitol they belong.

He affirmed that he had already received the list, pointing out that the said employees tested for illegal drug use will face sanctions.

Job orders and contract of service employees who tested positive will not have their contracts renewed, while regular employees will face administrative charges.

Diaz said there are no officials that have tested positive for drug use.

He announced earlier that their employees from provincial government-run hospitals would be the next to undergo drug tests on Friday, December 15.

“All will be subjected to drug testing. Nobody is exempted from it. The provincial government is doing its share to ensure a drug-free workplace,” he said.

Around 2,300 of the more than 3,000 casual, contract of service and job order employees of the provincial capitol, as well as elected officials, underwent drug testing from December 11 and 12./With reports from PNA / DGB, WDJ