By Jennifer P. Rendon
The Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 in Western Visayas and PNP national support units (NSUs) are almost compliant with the PNP hierarchy’s order to have all police officers tested for illegal drugs use.
The PNP Regional Crime Laboratory Office (RCLO-6), which spearheads the conduct of drug testing in the region, said 93% of PRO-6 and NSU personnel have already been tested since Police General Debold Sinas assumed the PNP top post on November 2020.
“So far, only one policeman flunked in the drug test,” Police Colonel Enrique Ancheta, RCLO-6 chief, said.
The result is usually known immediately. If a police officer tests positive, a confirmatory test will be conducted immediately.
The result of the confirmatory test will be released in about four days.
An officer who tests positive will be given 15 days to challenge the results.
Last month, a police non-commissioned officer in Negros Occidental was disarmed and placed under restricted custody after he recently tested positive for use of illegal drugs.
The cop, who holds a rank of Corporal, underwent a random drug test along with four others on December 9, 2020.
It can be noted that when Brigadier General Rolando Miranda assumed post as Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) director on December 1, 2020, he vowed a relentless campaign against illegal drugs.
Part of this campaign is the conduct of regular drug testing among policemen “so that I will have peace of mind na ang ating alagad ng batas, ang mga pulis sa Western Visayas ay hindi nagkakaroon ng problema sa ilegal na droga,” said Miranda.
All policemen, he said, who will be assigned on the anti-illegal drugs campaign would undergo a proper vetting process to make sure that their integrity is not in any way tainted.
