• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Twelve more employees of San Carlos City in Negros Occidental have tested positive for use of illegal drugs, Mayor Renato Gustilo said on Friday.
Among them, 10 are job order (JO) workers, who are assigned at the City Water District and People’s Park Management Office, while the two others are regular employees, who were all tested last week.
Gustilo said that he already advised the Office of the Human Resource and Management to terminate the employment of the 10 JO workers, while there will be confirmatory testing for the two regular employees, based on the ruling of the Civil Service Commission.
“It’s either we fire them (the two regular employees) or require them to submit themselves to a community-based drug rehabilitation program,” he added.
On Nov. 23, some 98 employees assigned in the city government satellite offices underwent drug test.
The drug testing is being conducted by the city government to ensure a drug-free work place as mandated by the Civil Service Commission.
In July this year, the city government also terminated the employment of a JO worker after he tested positive for illegal drug use.
Others who underwent drug test were personnel assigned at the Business Permits and Licensing Office, City Engineering Department assigned at the Motorpool, Information Technology and Computer Services Office, Traffic Management Authority, Sports Office, Public Market and Slaughterhouse Department, and the City Environment Management Office.
Gustilo said that the city government allocates funds annually for the drug testing of its employees. | GB
