Ilocos PNP officers, employees tested for drug use in bid to weed out rogues

SAN FERNANDO CITY—At least 481 policemen and civilian employees of the Ilocos region police office had been tested for drugs on Monday (Dec. 7).

Brig. Gen. Rodolfo Azurin, Jr., Ilocos regional police director, said the testing was in compliance with the directive of the Gen. Debold Sinas, Philippine National Police chief, to weed out rogues in the uniformed service.

Members of the command group, division chiefs and other key employees, as well as randomly selected police noncommissioned officers, also took the drug test which was done at the regional police headquarters’ grandstand.

The drug test was administered by the Regional Crime Laboratory Office 1.

Azurin himself was tested during the PNP command conference at National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) last Nov. 28.

He said the overall objective of the project was to ensure that law enforcers were not using illegal drugs.

“Those who will be found positive of using prohibited or regulated drugs shall be separated or dismissed from the service after due process,” he said. “If evidence warrants, appropriate criminal charges may also be filed against them,” he added.

From Nov. 30 to Dec. 6, a total of 661 officers and men from the regional police, Pangasinan police, regional anti-drug unit and national support units were tested for drugs and had been found negative.

Of the 661 officers and men, 104 were police commissioned officers, 496 were police non commissioned officers and 61 were civilian employees of the regional police force.

Azurin said random drug tests will continue in all PNP units in the region.

Edited by TSB