Mayor Rama, City Hall officials take drug test

Cebu City Hall officials yesterday underwent a surprise drug test conducted by Cebu City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (Cosap).

Mayor Michael Rama, Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, department and office heads as well as some assistant heads were among those who submitted urine samples during the testing at the 8th floor of City Hall’s executive building.

The results will be revealed today, according to Dr. Alice Utlang, chief of Cosap.

“This is in compliance with the ordinance by Vice Mayor (Labella) when he was still a councilor. This is a surprise drug test. We  haven’t conducted a drug test for the department heads this year,” Utlang said.

As of 5 p.m. yesterday, Utlang said 30 department heads and assistant department heads  already submitted their urine samples including Labella and Rama.
Utlang herself took the drug test.

Aside from the city officials, 38 newly hired City Hall employees were also  tested.

City Ordinance 1829, which was authored by then city councilor Labella and passed in 2000, requires all City Hall workers including officials to undergo annual drug tests.

Last August, the council  approved an amendatory ordinance authored by councilor Nestor Archival to include barangay officials and employees, the police force, firefighters, and jail officers assigned in the city to the compulsory drug test as a pre-employment requirement.