BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan ordered the City Health Services to finalize the procedures on the conduct of random and mandatory drug test for the over 15,000 permanent and temporary officials and workers of the city government to help address the drug problem in the Summer Capital.
Domogan said the drug menace is a serious social problem once it will not be controlled by concerned government agencies and the local government; thus, the need to adopt stringent measures to prevent the proliferation of drugs being circulated by notorious drug syndicates in the city, especially among college and high school students.
“We already issued a stern warning to our officials and employees that those who will be found to be involved in drugs will be dealt with accordingly. We have also directed our law enforcers to intensify their anti-drug operations because illegal drugs have no place in the city,” Domogan stressed.
He expressed disappointment upon learning that there are still 35 drug-affected barangays in the city, saying that barangay officials and residents must be vigilant with what is happening in their neighborhood and report to the police suspicious-looking individuals or abnormal activities being done in their places.
From only 19 drug-affected barangays in the city during the first quarter of last year, the Cordillera office of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA-CAR) reported that the city’s drug affected barangays grew to 35 as of the end of last year.
Domogan called on barangay officials to tap the services of additional force multipliers in their respective areas of jurisdiction so that they will be able to closely monitor the activities of individuals having doubtful activities in their places.
According to him, Baguio City is the transshipment area of shabu coming from the lowlands and being shipped to the different parts of the Cordillera and marijuana coming from the highlands being shipped to the different parts of the lowlands and Metro Manila.
He cited the random and mandatory drug testing for city officials and employees will be done in a surprise manner in order to really check whether or not they are involved in the use of prohibited drugs that might compromise their employment.
The local chief executive explained as soon as the drug testing procedures will be finalized, the random testing will be done to help in curbing the proliferation of the use of illegal drugs in the city as the local government will start cleaning its premises from people involved in using banned drugs.
He also called on private and public school officials in the different parts of the city to intensify their campaign against the use of illegal drugs among their students after learning that some college and high school students were caught in the act of trying to sneak in to their campuses prohibited drugs while some students were also arrested in public places sniffing illegal drugs.
He said tighter security measures must be put in place in schools to prevent unscrupulous illegal drug syndicate members from being able to sneak into the campuses prohibited drugs being used by students which could actually compromise their right future as responsible and dedicated citizens of the city.
