Tanods, garbage loaders undergo surprise drug test anew
City Hall personnel collect the urine samples of barangay tanods and garbage loaders of four barangays at the Quiot Sports Complex.
CDN Photo/Lito Tecson
ABOUT 121 barangay tanods and garbage loaders employed in Barangays Inayawan, Quiot, Basak San Nicolas and Cogon Pardo in Cebu City underwent a surprise drug test at the Quiot Sports Center yesterday morning.
Dr. Alice Utlang, chief of the Cebu City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (COSAP), said seven tanods — one from Inayawan, one from Basak San Nicolas and five from Cogon Pardo — were absent during the test.
Also absent were three loaders from Inayawan and two from Basak San Nicolas.
“For those who did not show up, they will be considered good as positive except if they have a valid reason,” she said.
Utlang said those who gave valid reasons will undergo another drug test and the schedule will not be disclosed.
Yesterday’s drug test is mandated by a Cebu City ordinance which requires barangay and City Hall workers to undergo tests.
Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak, deputy mayor on police matters, said the results will also be part of the ongoing performance evaluation being conducted by the city government on barangay tanods and garbage loaders.
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña earlier issued a memorandum suspending the city’s incentives to barangay tanods and garbage loaders pending their performance evaluation.
Results of yesterday’s test will be known today.
Including yesterday’s batch, COSAP conducted drug tests in 10 out of the city’s 80 barangays.
Since last month, COSAP conducted drug tests to tanods and loaders in Barangays Poblacion Pardo, Bulacao, Basak Pardo, Sawang Calero, Suba, and Duljo Fatima.
COSAP said six barangay workers in Poblacion Pardo and three in Suba tested positive of illegal drug use. Utlang said these results will still be subjected to confirmatory tests.
“If these will be confirmed, they will be terminated but they have to attend our We Care (rehabilitation) program so that they can eventually go back to work,” she said.
Dr. Utlang said they will collate the results and forward them to the mayor’s office./Reporter Jose Santino S. Bunachita
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