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[av_heading heading=’‘Surprise’ drug tests for city hall employees ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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ILOILO City – City hall employees will be subjected to unannounced drug tests.
The city government will be tapping the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region 6 for this, said Administrator Hernando Galvez.
This will ensure that all city hall employees are drug-free, he explained.
“We start the campaign for a drug-free city right here at city hall,” said Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog during the flag-raising ceremony with city hall employees early this week.
Friday last week, city government job hire Stephen Tan was arrested in a buy-bust.
According to Galvez, an alarmed Mabilog immediately instructed all department heads during a meeting on Wednesday to monitor their respective personnel vis-à-vis the campaign against illegal drugs.
They were specifically required to submit confidential reports should there be employees engaged in illegal drugs (either user or pusher).
“We’ll then refer the cases to concerned government agencies,” said Galvez.
The contracts of job hires involved in illegal drugs won’t be renewed, he added.
Tan of Barangay East Baluarte, Molo district was collared with gym instructor Rodolfo Manaba of the City Proper near city hall. They yielded three sachets of shabu.
Last week’s Friday night’s buy-bust was carried out by the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group. Galvez did not outright confirm that Tan was a city hall job-hire. But he said there was indeed a Stephen Tan initially hired to work under the task force on jaywalking in 2010 but later transferred to the Iloilo Esplanade.
Later, Galvez said the arrest should serve as a warning to city hall employees not to engage in illegal activities.
Tan and Manaba face charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002./PN
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