Metrobriefs

Man witnesses how quick thief took his SUV

A MAN bid goodbye to his sport utility vehicle after a thief slipped into the driver’s seat and drove off with it on Tuesday night in Quezon City. The white 2009 Ford Everest with license plate NFI 228 was owned by Wilson Uy. Case investigator PO3 Danilo Tuscano of the Quezon City police  said it was Uy’s son, Wilmer, who reported the theft which happened at 9 p.m. on Tuesday on Belfast Avenue in Fairview, Barangay Pasong Putik. Wilmer, a Quezon City resident, said he was driving the SUV when he heard a thud coming from the back of the vehicle. This prompted him to stop, alight from the SUV and check for the source of the noise. However, he left the vehicle door open and the engine running and as he was looking at the back of the SUV, a still unidentified man got into it and drove off, leaving Wilmer behind. Julie M. Aurelio

Makati sacks 6 City Hall workers for ‘shabu’ use

SIX CITY Hall workers in Makati City have been ordered dismissed from the service after they tested positive for methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu” during the random drug tests conducted in the first half of the year. The six were among 90 employees from the public and private sectors who were found positive for the illegal substance out of 2,337 workers who were subjected to a random drug test by the Makati Anti-Drug Abuse Council (Madac) from January to June this year. In a statement, Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay said to date, the city’s human resources development office has terminated the services of two casual employees while four others—two casuals, a regular and a job-order employee—are facing the same sanction in accordance with the guidelines for a “drug free workplace in the bureaucracy” under Memorandum Circular No. 13-10 of the Civil Service Commission. Binay also expressed dismay over the number of barangay personnel who tested positive for drugs as he urged local leaders to go after drug users among their ranks. “Urgent measures must be taken to ensure that those who are entrusted with the safety and wellbeing of residents in every community are trustworthy and responsible,” he said, adding that drug addicts have no place in the city. In a report, Madac operations chief Supt. Jaime Santos said that from January to June, his office tested a total of 1,450 barangay personnel, 30 of whom were found positive for shabu. Niña P. Calleja