BAGUIO CITY December 22 – The City Council approved on third and final reading a proposed ordinance implementing the drug-free workplace program, mandating the conduct of authorized drug testing in all offices of the local government, incuding the offices of its 128 barangays and providing funds for the purpose.
The ordinance authored by Vice Mayor Edison R. Bilog stated the local government recognizes the threat posed by drug abuse in the community and its specific effects in the workplace, including decreased productivity, increased accidents, absenteeism, lapses in the performance of assigned tasks, criminality, and the like and declared its policy to absolutely prohibit the use of dangerous drugs in and outside the office by all officials and employees of the city, including its 128 barangays.
The primary purpose of the local legislative measure is to ensure the maintenance of a safe and healthy work environment free from use of dangerous drugs, and free from other related activities as prescribed by law and it shall apply to all officials and employees in the offices of the local government and in its 128 barangays without distinction as to rank, employment status or salaries and shall cover all stages of employment.
It stated drug testing shall be done by any government forensic laboratory or by any of the drug testing laboratories accredited and monitored by the Department of Health (DOH) and for this purpose, the local government may enter into agreement with government drug testing laboratories. Likewise, the city shall develop a program to enable the Baguio General Hospital and the Baguio Health Center in drug testing.
The ordinance cited the methods that will be undertaken in the drug testing to include screening drug tests and confirmatory drug tests.
According to the proposal, drug testing shall be mandatory in the pre-employment stages, for persons in high-risk or decision-making positions, for those with past history of drug use, involved in accidents, when dangerous drug paraphernalia are discovered, detention by police or filing of charges in court for drug-related cases, as a requirement for promotion and employees reporting to work after undergoing rehabilitation in a treatment or rehabilitation center.
The measure stated random drug tests may be done without prior notice on the date and venue thereof on selected employees chosen by the drug-free workplace assessment committee until all officials and employees have undergone the tests.
The drug-free workplace assessment committee shall formulate a random selection process or procedure for the implementation of the random drug testing of officials and employees.
A drug test certificate shall be issued stating that the official and employee tested negative for illegal drug use shall be valid for one year and could be used for other purposes.
Upon discovery that a urine sample tested positive for dangerous drugs after confirmatory tests, such result shall immediately be made known to the chairman of the drug-free workplace assessment committee and the City Mayor or his duly authorized representative. Upon receipt of the information, the same shall be made known to the employee or official and the City Mayor shall then take the appropriate actions pursuant to the ordinance.** By Dexter A. See
