Thursday, June 7, 2012

Cop in ‘hot water’ for faking drug test

..A COP from the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) is being investigated for allegedly faking his urine sample during a recent random drug test at Camp Sotero Cabahug.

Police Supt. Audie Villacin, chief of the Regional Investigation and Detective Management Branch (RIDMB), said the policeman may be charged with dishonesty for allegedly submitting water instead of a urine sample to the PNP crime laboratory.

“We will conduct a separate investigation for dishonesty,” Villacin said.

At Cebu City Hall, three more employees stand to lose their jobs after they tested positive for shabu in a surprise drug test yesterday.

The City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (Cosap), along with Intelliprime Diagnostic and Medical Laboratory, asked the 75 casual and job order employees of the Department for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) to submit urine samples.

Cosap Executive Director Joey Herrera disclosed that one casual and two job order employees were found positive of methamphetamine hydrochloride, also known as shabu.

Herrera said, though, the results of the drug screening test will undergo a confirmatory drug test at the Department of Health (DOH) in Manila, and the result will be known in a week or two.

Due process

As to the Cebu City policeman who allegedly faked his urine samples, authorities are still conducting a pre-charge evaluation of the case, after which a summary hearing proceeding will follow.

Appropriate sanctions will only be taken against him based on evidence gathered by the summary hearing officer.

Villacin clarified that police officers found positive of drug use are entitled to due process, such as letting them hire a lawyer.

RIDMB conducted the investigation following the order of Chief Supt. Marcelo Garbo, director of the Police Regional Office 7.

On May 2, eight CCPO policemen initially tested positive for drug use.

It was later found out that only seven were found positive in the confirmatory drug test.

The eight policemen are still in Camp Sotero Cabahug, pending investigation that may lead to dismissal from service.

Senior Supt. Melvin Ramon Buenafe, the CCPO director, earlier said he will not tolerate personnel engaged in illegal drugs.

Buenafe was among the 30 policemen who submitted themselves to a surprise drug test last month.

Third test

On the random drug screening test for Cebu City Hall employees, yesterday’s examination was the third time that Cosap conducted in the past two weeks.

Last May 21, a worker from the City Treasurer’s Office tested positive for shabu, and he’s now been confirmed as a drug user.

Last week, three personnel of the City Traffic Operations and Management also tested positive for shabu use and two more traffic enforcers admitted they have been taking illegal drugs.

DWUP Chief Collin Rosell said he asked Cosap to conduct a surprise drug test to make sure that his office is drug-free.

The DWUP chief added that employees who test positive for shabu use should face the consequences.

Dismissal

Human Resource Development Office Chief Veronica Morelos said a Civil Service Commission circular states that drug users in government office should be dismissed from service.

Mayor Michael Rama earlier said he wants City Hall casual employees who tested positive for illegal drugs to take sick or vacation leaves while waiting for the confirmatory drug test result.

For those who admitted being drug users, their contracts will be terminated because there is already basis in doing so, the mayor said.

Herrera said more DWUP employees will undergo drug screening test at the diagnostic laboratory today, particularly those who were assigned in the field when the test was conducted yesterday.

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