46 Bacolod local government workers test positive for drug use – Rappler

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Bacolod Mayor Albee Benitez says the services of all the workers who tested positive for substance abuse would be terminated immediately

BACOLOD, Philippines More than 40 workers contracted to augment the Bacolod city governments workforce tested positive for illegal drug use during surprise drug tests conducted on Tuesday, August 1.

Major Junji Liba, the chief of the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO), said 29 workers from the BTAO and 17 others from the Bacolod City Public Order and Safety Office were found to be drug users among the 640 city hall workers who underwent random tests.

The 46 people who tested positive were job order workers, individuals hired for specific periods to perform tasks, and are not considered regular employees of the local government.

In response, Bacolod Mayor Albee Benitez said the contracts of the workers who tested positive for substance abuse would be terminated immediately.

He said they would be sent to a drug rehabilitation center, and their contracts may be considered for renewal once they have completed the necessary treatment.

Benitez also said city halls department heads will also undergo drug testing, and he encouraged other local officials, particularly those elected, to submit themselves to drug tests.

We will come up with a system to identify drug users within the city government, he told a press conference.

To set an example, Benitez had himself tested, and the results came out negative.

During the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 24, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced that the government would continue its campaign against illegal drugs using an approach different from the previous administrations so-called war on drugs from 2016 to 2022. Rappler.com

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46 Bacolod local government workers test positive for drug use - Rappler