Regular employees of the Negros Occidental provincial government who tested positive in confirmatory drug tests will be subjected to administrative proceedings and charged with grave misconduct, Provincial Legal Officer Alberto Nellas Jr. said Tuesday, January 16.
If merited they could face dismissal from the service, he said, but assured that due process will be followed.
Under the provincial drug-free workplace ordinance information on those who tested positive is confidential, the data is provided only to the governor and provincial administrator, Nellas said.
Those who wish to contest the results of the confirmatory tests will have to do so at their own expense, he said.
There were 27 provincial government regular employees, as well as job order, casual and contract of service workers who tested positive for drugs in December.
The contracts of the JO, casual and COS workers were not renewed, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said.
“The provincial government is accountable to the public, it can’t have employees who are drug users,” Nellas said.*