Chan orders drug testing for JOs assigned at city’s MRF

Employees assigned at the city’s Materials Recovery Facility were called for an early morning drug test on Monday, September 30. | Norman Mendoza

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu – Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan has ordered a surprise drug testing on Monday morning, September 30, as part of his ongoing investigation into the alleged extortion practices by some employees of the city’s Materials Recovery Facility (MRF).

But only 211 of the 246 Job Order (JO) employees assigned at the MRF were able to submit their urine samples to personnel of the City of Lapu-Lapu Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (CLOSAP) who administered the drug testing.

Test results were still unavailable as of this writing.

Lao said the results will be made available on Tuesday, October 1. Those who will test positive for illegal drugs use will be subjected to confirmatory testing.

“If they are found positive (based) on the results (of the drug testing), they will automatically be terminated from their job based on Mayor Chan’s policy,” said CLOSAP head Garry Lao.

Lao said that others who missed the drug testing either because they were absent or on official leave will be called to submit their urine samples the soonest possible time or face termination from government service.

MRF employees were called for an 8 a.m. meeting today, September 30.

It was during their gathering that Lao announced the need for them to undergo drug testing.

Lao said that Mayor Chan ordered the drug testing after he learned of the alleged involvement of some employees in extortion activities. He does not also discount the possibility that some of them may be involved in illegal drugs use.

Chan earlier ordered the termination of five JOs assigned at the MRF after they were accused of extorting money from establishments who did not comply with the city’s garbage segregation policy instead of issuing these with citation tickets. /dcb