Random drug tests found some employees of the provincial government positive of drugs, prompting investigation as to their fitness to continue service.

Provincial Administrator Alfonso Damalerio II disclosed this during last Friday’s round of the weekly “Kita ug ang Gobernador” media interaction of provincial officials.

Damalerio, however, said the results would further be subjected to validation and confirmatory process with another drug testing center.

The random drug test on Capitol employees was the debut operation of the new drug testing center at the back of the Provincial Health Office.

Damalerio, however, refrained from elaborating on the identity of the concerned workers or their status of employment at the Capitol.

This is just a way of setting an example to the community as Damalerio challenged private companies to also ask their employees to submit for drug testing in consonance also with the appeal of the Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Employees found positive of drugs will be “dealt with administratively which shall be a ground for suspension or termination, subject to the provisions of Article 282 of the Labor Code and pertinent provisions of the Civil Service Law: Provided, that the Department of Labor and Employment and the Civil Service Commission, as the case may be, shall see to it that this provision is implemented”.

About five years ago, the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) issued the call for government employees to be subjected to random drug tests in the campaign to “fight against substance abuse” in the country.

Ridding government offices of drug users could be significant to arouse community support in the fight against drug menace in the country.

There used to be 1.7 million Filipinos into drug addiction when the DDB issued the challenge.

The DDB also cited that conducting random drug tests on public employees is in consonance with “Article V, Section 47, of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002”.

RA 9165 covers private and public offices with 10 or more personnel in declaring it a policy of the state “to promote drug-free workplaces”, according to earlier reports.

DDB also cited the legal basis for conducting random drug tests is Article II, Section 36, Paragraph D of the law “which states that ‘Officers and employees of public and private offices, whether domestic or overseas, shall undergo a random drug test as contained in the company’s work rules and regulations, which shall be borne by the employer, for purposes of reducing the risk in the workplace’”, according to reports.