CAMP DANGWA, Benguet – Members of the Police Regional Office-Cordillera are negative for illegal drugs use after random drug tests were conducted by the Regional Crime Laboratory Office (RCLO) in a bid to weed out drug users among its ranks.
Police Brig. Gen. R’win Pagkalinawan, regional director, said the random drug test is part of the Philippine National Police's (PNP) intensified internal cleansing. Personnel who will test positive for drug use will be administratively charged and subjected to summary dismissal procedures.
Pagkalinawan said that for this year, of the 4,279 personnel who were randomly tested, 4,225 are uniformed personnel while 54 are non-uniformed personnel.
He said 681 personnel of various Drug Enforcement Units (DEU) were also subjected to mandatory tests.
The drug test were conducted on the following: Regional Headquarters - 892; Abra PPO - 718; Apayao PPO - 241; Benguet PPO - 275; Ifugao PPO - 692; Kalinga PPO - 541; Mountain Province PPO - 303 and Baguio City Police Office - 617.
According to RCLO data, the result of the drug test conducted on PROCOR personnel turned out negative for the presence of illegal drugs.
Aside from the regular random drug testing, personnel vying for promotion and schooling were also subjected to drug tests.