• CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
Forty-six job order casual employees in Bacolod City tested positive for illegal drugs during a drug test conducted by the City Government of Bacolod on Friday.
Of the 46 job order employees, 29 were assigned to the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO), while 17 were assigned to the Public Order and Safety Office (POSO).
About 370 POSO and 270 BTAO job order employees underwent voluntary drug testing which started Friday.
Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez also subjected himself to drug testing yesterday, which yielded a negative result.
“This will be a call for all public officials to do the same. I think this is proper so the public will be confident that their public servants are not involved in the illegal substance,” Benitez said.
They have started the voluntary drug test with the police force. So now, they can start with government employees, as well as public officials. The drug test will be voluntary, he said.
City Administrator Pacifico Maghari III said there are many ways they can ask the city employees to comply. But they need an ordinance to do so. They can ask the employees to subject themselves to voluntary drug test by way of a directive.*
