City News

Two City Solid Waste Management personnel fired for drug test

By Gillian Faye Ibañez

February 18, 2020

Two City Solid Waste Management (SWM) personnel were removed from their posts on Monday, February 17, after their drug test results  conducted Friday last week showed positive for illegal substance.

SWM head Richard Ligad told Palawan Daily News (PDN) Monday he aims to maintain a drug-free workplace in all the departments he oversees and this should never be tolerated.

“Friday nang hapon nalaman na natin kaagad [ang result]. Mabilis lang ‘yan pero ‘yong pinaka-official niyan, ganoon na rin ‘yon, ay inaantay pa natin ‘yong papel. Kasi kapag nag-positive ‘yong drug-testing, pinapadala ‘yan doon sa Manila for formal confirmation, pero positive as in positive na ‘yan,” said Ligad.

“This week [they were removed], kanina, nagbigay na ako ng order kanina,” he added.

Ligad said the test for SWM was conducted Friday, February 14, together with the Anti-Crime Task Force (ACTF) personnel, a department which he chairs as well.

Ligad said they are now waiting for the formal document from Manila on the positive drug test results of two SWM personnel.

He said these two were the first to fail the series of drug tests conducted on varied departments in the city.

Ligad said the two staff may also come back and be restored to work, but only after they went through the right process of drug rehabilitation.

He also reminded all workers under every department he oversees to live in such a way that is worthy of their service to the government.

“Tayo ay nagpapatupad ng batas, tayo ay nasa gobyerno. Gusto natin mag-trabaho sa drug-free na organisasyon so huwag tayong gagamit ng ipinagbabawal na gamot,” said Ligad.