Police officers from the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office undergo a random drug test on Monday, January 11, 2021. CDN Digital photo | Futch Anthony Inso
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu—Around 200 police officers from the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LCPO) were made to undergo a random drug test on Monday morning, January 11, 2021, here.
Police Colonel Arnel Banzon, director of the LCPO, said that this is done in line with the internal cleansing program of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Banzon also said that this is the fifth time that they conducted a surprised drug test on its personnel. As of tis posting, Banzon said no officer from LCPO has tested positive for illegal drugs.
The police chief said that if an officer tests positive, he will be relieved from his post and will undergo the confirmatory test.
“If mag-positive gihapon sa confirmatory test, then we will file a criminal case against him and he will be dismissed from service,” he added.
(If he still tests positive, then we will file a criminal case against him and he will be dismissed from service.)
Despite having a clean record so far, Banzon still warned his men on the trouble they can get in if they’re caught using illegal drugs.
“Dili ta mag-apil-apil sa mga ingon ana noh, sa paggamit ug ilegal nga drugas. Daghan nata’g kauban nga niapil ana, and sooner and later, masakpan gyud. So, mas maayo nga dili nalang mag-apil-apil,” Banzon said.
(Let’s not get into that, in using illegal drugs. We know fellow officers who tried that and sooner and later, they’ll get caught. So, it’s better not to get into that.)
/bmjo
Related story: Lapu-Lapu mayor eyes P100M for COVID vaccines