TACLOBAN CITY- For the record, all of the more than 300 policemen of this city are not using illegal drugs. Well, at least in so far as the result of a mandatory drug test conducted among the members of the Tacloban City Police Office conducted on Monday (July 18). The result yielded a negative result for all the 315 members of the city police and 10 of its non-uniformed personnel. No less than city police director, Senior Supt. Rolando Bade, led in submitting his urine sample before members of the Soco (scene of the crime operatives) from the regional police headquarters to determine whether they are using illegal drugs, particularly methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu. The mandatory and unannounced drug testing among city police and its office personnel was conducted after the visit of police regional director, Chief Supt. Elmer Baltejar.
Bade said that he was glad that the drug testing conducted among his personnel turned out to be negative. This only means, the city police director added, that they are “clean” and not using any illegal drugs. “Kailangan talaga na mag undergo ng drug test ang ating mga kapulisn dito sa Tacloban City Police Office kasi malalaman natin kong may involve o gumagamit ng ipinagbabawal na druga ang mga kapulisan ng Tacloban ay kaagad natin sisibakin sa serbisyo kasi makakasira siya sa magandang image ng Tacloban City Police Office,” Bade said.
However, Bade stressed that while the drug testing among his men turned out to be negative, they will not remain complacent. In fact, the city police chief said, he will continue to monitor his men to ensure that they will not use or engage in the illegal drug trade. The police are now in the thick of a campaign dubbed as “Operation Tokhang” encouraging alleged drug users and pushers to surrender to them or other government officials.
(LITO A. BAGUNAS)
