• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Fourteen employees of the Negros Occidental provincial government tested positive for illegal drugs during the mandatory random drug testing conducted this month, with confirmatory test results expected this week.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Wednesday, Oct. 28 the samples had been forwarded to the Department of Health for confirmatory testing to validate the initial findings.
The provincial government conducted mandatory random drug testing on 1,962 employees across seven provincial government-run hospital facilities.
Lacson said they are awaiting the confirmatory test results before determining the appropriate action against the employees concerned.
He stressed that a positive initial result does not yet establish their status pending confirmation.
Lacson warned that job order and casual employees who test positive in the confirmatory tests will be immediately dismissed from service. | GPB
