Drug testing begins at City Hall
VM, councilors set the example, submit themselves to drug tests
MANDATORY drug testing begins at City Hall.
The 18th City Council during its 55th regular session Monday presided over by Vice Mayor Raineir Joaquin V. Uy enacted an ordinance promoting a drug-free workplace in the city of Cagayan de Oro thru the conduct of a mandatory drug test to all officials and employees in the city government.
The ordinance was authored by Councilor Edna “Inday” Dahino, chair of the committee on women and family relations, and on finance, budget and appropriations.
Relative to this, legislators also appropriated P1.2 million to cover the cost for the conduct of the mandatory drug testing, and authorized its inclusion in the city’s Supplemental Budget.
These separate ordinances were jointly approved to support the urgent call of Councilor Romeo V. Calizo, chair of the committee on police, fire and public safety and designated chair of the City Anti Drug Abuse Council (CADAC) in his special report.
“For a long while the people of Cagayan de Oro were kept in suspense and they kept on asking kanus-a ba gayud mahitabo nga naay mandatory drug test diha sa City Hall?” the councilor said.
Upon learning that there is no legal question on the said drug testing procedure, and availability of funds was certified by the Local Finance Committee (LFC), Councilor Calizo volunteered himself right there and then to undergo such test and challenged his co-members to do the same.
STARTS WITH US
Vice Mayor Uy temporarily suspended the City Council rules of procedure to give time to all the members to voluntarily collect and submit each of their urine samples to the PDEA Laboratory Mobile Team.
Councilor Calizo said the urine samples will be divided in two. The first will be for the initial test. In the event that the result is contested, the second sample will be subjected to confirmatory tests, he explained.
The legislation was reviewed and endorsed by the committees on finance, budget and appropriations and on laws and rules chaired by Councilors Edna Dahino and Ian Mark Q. Nacaya, respectively. (JAO)