ILOILO CITY—Four Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) drivers tested positive for illegal drug use during a random drug test conducted by the Western Visayas regional office of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Iloilo City.

A RANDOM drug testing is conducted on public utility vehicle drivers in Iloilo City. (LTO-Region 6)
The four drivers—a taxi driver, a tricycle driver, and two drivers of a mini-bus—are undergoing confirmatory testing by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
LTO-6 Regional Director Gaudioso P. Geduspan II said the April 15 random testing of 156 PUV drivers in two separate transportation terminals is part of the operation to reduce major vehicular accidents this Holy Week.
The random drug testing was also part of “Oplan: Harabas” or the broader initiative of the LTO to reduce the number of road crashes linked to drivers under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol.
“With the country averaging 12,000 road crash fatalities each year, approximately 500 occur in Western Visayas alone,” noted Geduspan.
With the Holy Week underway, several deaths have been recorded from vehicular accidents in the city and province of Iloilo alone.
LTO-6 Assistant Regional Director Jeck D. Conlu reiterated that the agency and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) remains dedicated to promoting a drug-free transport system and enhancing road safety across Western Visayas.
The LTO-6 coordinated with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-6, Department of Health-6, Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO), and the Iloilo City government.