By Jennifer P. Rendon
Seventy police-commissioned officers (PCOs) of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) were called to the IPPO headquarters in Sta. Barbara, Iloilo to undergo a surprise drug test on October 15.
Colonel Noel Aliño, Iloilo police chief, led his subordinate commanders in submitting themselves for drug testing.
These included the 43 chiefs of police, key officers of the IPPO headquarters and their assistants, and commanders of mobile force companies undergoing the drug test.
Aliño said the move which is in consonance with the PNP Internal Cleansing Program.
The drug test was conducted by a team from the Regional Forensic Unit 6 led by Captain Carmen Gabrille Alianza.
Aliño said he has been ordering the conduct of drug testing even in his previous units.
“We want to have moral ascendancy. Para walang masabi ang mga tao na hindi kami huli ng huli lang but we couldn’t guard our own rank,” he said.
Aliño said that initiatives like the conduct of drug tests are about leading by example.
“And it wouldn’t end here. We would do it after two months maybe,” he said.
But for personnel assigned at provincial drug enforcement units (PDEUs) and intelligence units, drug testing will be done regularly.
Aliño said he would check the result of the examination today, Oct 17, 2022.
