Two cops face probe for drug use

TWO policemen who tested positive of drugs were relieved from their respective posts yesterday and assigned to the Police Regional Office (PRO-7) Holding and Administrative Unit while awaiting investigation.

The two police officers from the town of Dalaguete, Southern Cebu and Tagbilaran City in Bohol may likely be dismissed from service, sources said.

“We are firm in our decision to have these two policemen removed from our official list of members; but they have to go through a process first,” said Chief Supt. Noli Taliño, the newly installed director of the Police Regional Office (PRO-7) in Central Visayas.

Pending results of the investigation, the names of the two police officers are being kept confidential by PRO-7.

Senior Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, deputy regional director for operations, said he considered the two policemen as “drug victims” who need help and intervention.

“We need to consider how we could address the problem. We need to help them by way of letting them undergo drug rehabilitation,” he explained.

Since the Philippine National Police (PNP) conducted surprise drug tests on members of the force last May, at least four policemen had been found positive of drugs.

Aside from the two cops, a member of the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) and a Mandaue City policeman were also found positive of drugs.

The police officer from Mandaue City has gone on AWOL while, sources said, the HPG member’s case will be endorsed to the HPG national headquarters as the special police unit does not fall under the jurisdiction of PRO-7.

Taliño said he intends to conduct regular drug testing for all policemen in the region to ensure that all of them are drug free.

He said cleaning the ranks will be his first order of business as regional director of PRO-7.

“Drug tests should be done as part of the internal cleansing,” Taliño said./UP Cebu Intern Morexette Marie Erram