Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said he is leaving it to the mayors of Negros Occidental to decide whether they want the newly elected barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials in their areas to undergo drug tests.
Last week Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas issued a statement strongly recommending that all barangay and SK officials in his city undergo drug tests.
This would enable the newly elected officials to come clean before they assume office, Treñas said.
“I leave that to the discretion of the respective chief executives…if they feel there is a need to call for drug tests for all,” Lacson said, referring to the Negros Occidental mayors.
Lacson commended the candidates and everyone in Negros Occidental for keeping the October 30 polls peaceful.
The governor said the newly elected barangay and SK officials only have two years to perform and should “continue to work hard”.
He hopes the newly elected SK and barangay officials attend seminars called by the Department of the Interior and Local Government “so that they can better understand the roles that they have to play”.*