A total of 34 former government employees who were earlier tested positive for illegal drug use are set to finish their six-month Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation Program in December, retired Colonel Primitivo Tabujara, head of Public Order and Safety Office (Poso), said Wednesday, November 22.
Tabujara said of the 34 individuals, 11 of them are former employees detailed at Poso, while 23 others are former personnel of Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO).
He said they enrolled a total of 53 individuals for the Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation Program, but some of them failed to complete the rehabilitation, so only 34 participants were recommended to graduate next month.
"Because of their absences in the rehabilitation program, they need to repeat [the program] to finish the six-month rehabilitation program,” he added.
Once they complete the rehabilitation program, Tabujara said the City Health Office (CHO) will conduct another drug test and assessment to ensure that they are free from illegal drug use.
"It will depend on the situation if they are given a chance to reapply again at the Bacolod City Government Center,” he said.
On July 29 and August 1, a total of 705 employees underwent a random drug test, which was conducted by the CHO at Balay Silangan in Barangay Singcang-Airport.
Of the number, 381 were assigned to Poso, with 21 of them yielding positive results, and 282 were detailed at BTAO, with 32 of them also yielding positive results, including the four regular traffic enforcers.
Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez earlier said that those who yielded positive results would be terminated from the service and would undergo rehabilitation.
“If they turn out better and they recover, then they will be reconsidered to continue their job at the Bacolod City Government Center,” he said.*
