San Juan gov’t personnel must take drug tests

Mayor Guia Gomez

SAN JUAN Mayor Guia Gomez has approved an ordinance requiring all officials and employees of the city government and its 21 barangays to undergo drug tests.

The Drug-Free Workplace Ordinance of 2016, which was passed by the city council on Aug. 1 and signed by Gomez four days later, allots an initial P500,000 for this purpose.

The drug tests will cover all local government employees regardless of age, rank, employment status or salary, according to the measure.

The ordinance took particular note of the need to test employees who are seeking promotion, those in high-risk and decision-making positions, and those who had a history of drug use recorded by the police or had undergone drug rehabilitation.

The authors of the ordinance—Councilors Michael Christopher Mathay, Arthur Aquino and Sancho Hicap—cited the ill-effects of illegal drugs in the workplace, such as decreased productivity, frequent accidents or lapses, absenteeism, and eventual involvement in crime.

The drug tests shall be conducted through screening or confirmatory tests by a government-registered facility or a privately owned laboratory accredited by the Department of Health.

Meanwhile, the city government is also expected to set up in September an employee assistance program for personnel with alcohol or drug problems. Jodee A. Agoncillo