BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – A police officer under the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) tested positive for illegal drugs.
He was among those tested randomly earlier this month.
Police Colonel Enrique Ancheta, chief of the Police Regional Office 6’s (PRO-6) Regional Crime Laboratory, declined to identify the policeman but said he had the rank of Police Corporal.
The cop tested positive both during the preliminary and confirmatory tests.
No further information was provided on what kind of illegal drugs was detected in the policeman’s body.
Meanwhile, Police Lieutenant Abegail Donasco, NOCPPO spokesperson, said the provincial police headquarters has yet to receive the findings of the PRO-6.
While the police officer may still undergo confirmatory test within 15 days, Donasco said he is already under pre-charge investigation by the Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division.
The cop may face charges of grave misconduct and could be dismissed from the service.
Brigadier General Rolando Miranda, new PRO-6 director, recently ordered the mandatory drug testing of over 13,000 cops across Western Visayas before the year ends./PN
