6 mayor’s office, Sanggunian employees test positive of drugs

MANDAUE CITY DRUG TESTS

SIX more employees of the Mandaue City government, including three under the mayor’s office, were found initially positive of illegal drugs use in a surprise drug test conducted by the City Health Office in coordination with the Department of Health (DOH-7) in the region.

The drug tests were conducted in five city hall offices on Wednesday, namely: the Mayor’s Office, City Information Office, Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), Quality System Management Office and the Management System Information Office.

According to Mandaue City Public Information Officer Jun Veliganio, three of the employees found positive are from sections under the mayor’s office while the three others are from the SP.

The new findings bring to 29 the number of Mandaue City employees found positive for illegal drugs use over a period of two weeks.

“A total of 338 employees were scheduled for the drug test but we still have to know if there were employees absent or were not around. We are still waiting for the report of the city health office,” Veliganio said.

Earlier this week, eight employees from the City Legal Office, City Treasurer’s Office, City Assessor’s Office and Housing and Urban Development Office (HUDO) were also found positive of illegal drugs.

Another 15 employees from Mandaue City’s General Services Office also tested positive in a drug test conducted last week.

“The random drug testing in City Hall will continue until all offices will be covered,” said Mandaue City Mayor Luigi Quisumbing.

Quisumbing said that employees initially found positive will have to pay for their own confirmatory tests.

Once they are confirmed to be drug users, job order personnel will be automatically terminated; while casual and regular employees will face administrative sanctions.

Mandaue City Administrator Danilo Almendras earlier said that the surprise drug testing is part of the city’s efforts to promote a drug-free workplace at City Hall.

Prior to the employees, Mayor Quisumbing, Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna, city councilors, department heads and barangay captains were also subjected to drug tests starting last year.

None of them tested positive.