Busay Barangay Captain Amilo Lopez, whose initial results in a surprise drug test last year showed traces of illegal drugs in his urine, wants to sue whoever was responsible for prematurely leaking the test results to the media. During confirmatory examinations on the same sample, Lopez was found negative for illegal drug use.
FOR SHAME CAUSED BY DRUG TEST RESULT
It’s been nearly six months since the incident. Yet, Busay barangay captain Amilo Lopez says he isn’t over the embarrassment caused by the premature release of his drug test results last year which showed traces of illegal drugs in his urine, only to be found negative in confirmatory laboratory tests.
Lopez now seeks “justice” and hopes to find it before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas.
In a letter to the anti-graft office, Lopez asked the Ombudsman to investigate the city’s “leak” of his drug test results last October for alleged violation of government rules and procedures on confidentiality.
“Hangtod karon nagpangita gyud ko og hustisya kay ngano gyud ni-leak ang akong pangan nga positive sa drugs nga wa pa gani confirmatory test. Hangtod karon wa pa ko ka-recover sa panghitabo,” Lopez said.
(Until now, I am still seeking justice because why would they leak my name as positive for drugs when there was no confirmatory test yet. Until now I have not recovered from the incident.)
Lopez sought the help of the Ombudsman to investigate who authorized the leak.
According to the Busay barangay captain, he was traumatized upon seeing that his results were publicized even without confirmatory tests.
He now wants someone to answer for it, for the sake of his family.
“Dunay tawo mangumusta nako mahitungod ato nga issue, mora ko og matulala. Mora ko og dili makatubag. Unya nalouy ko sa akong mga anak ug pamilya nga nauwawan sad tawn. Nasakitan pud sa akong gidangatan,” Lopez said.
(When people asked me about the issue, I didn’t know how to answer them. I pity my children and family because they were shamed. It was very painful for them.)
Lopez particularly wants to find out who, between Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña and City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (Cosap) head Alice Utlang, leaked information about his drug test result for the filing of appropriate charges, he said.
Sought for comment, Utlang said that she was willing to face investigators if the Ombudsman decides to act on Lopez’s letter-request.
“Basta kami sa Cosap wala nagtabi (about Lopez’s result). Ako unya lang na tubagon,” Utlang said.
(As far as we are concerned in Cosap, we did not talk about his results. But I will answer all that later.)
Utlang said that under Cosap guidelines, the names of persons testing positive in the urine tests are not to be mentioned except to proper authorities.
For instance, if a barangay employee is found positive for illegal drugs, the barangay captain will be told about it, Utlang said.
If it were the barangay captain, only the mayor, the president of Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) will be informed of the result which will be placed in a sealed envelope marked confidential, under the rules.