By Jel Santos
Over 500 employees of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) on Monday underwent drug test, a top agency official said recently.
(Ali Vicoy|Manila Bulletin)
According to PCSO general manager Alexander Balutan, they want to show their support to President Duterte’s anti-illegal drug campaign. He said the test took place on Monday.
PCSO said the test was administered to 54 employees from San Marcelino, 398 employees from the main office, and 102 from the Lung Center of the Philippines. All in all, 554 employees were tested.
Balutan said that such is in compliance with the Civil Service (CSC) Memorandum Circular No. 13 s. 2017 issued on April 19, 2017 where incumbent public officials and employees of government agencies and government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) shall be made to undergo a “mandatory, random, and suspicionless” drug testing as a condition for retention in service.
“Apart from the anti-illegal gambling campaign, PCSO is fully and strongly supporting the President’s all-out war on drugs… This is not to ‘catch’ employees who are using drugs. The random testing is to promote safety by deterring regulated employees from misusing drugs and abusing alcohol,” he added.
Asia Pacific Medical & Diagnostics, Inc. (APDMI), the laboratory that administered the test, is a private accredited drug screening laboratory of the Department of Health, conducting drug testing program since 2000 for private companies, government agencies, GOCCs, including local and international schools in the Philippines.
“When you say mandatory, everyone can undergo drug test but as far as the choice of the date, time, and how frequent it is, there’s an element of surprise. It may be the selection of employees itself or the date and time. No one knows until the day itself. In this case, there’s a particular target for a particular schedule,” Dr. Bernard M. Regalado, medical director and head of drug testing laboratory of APDMI, said.
The laboratory said the head of office/agency or his/her designated person shall notify the official or employee of the positive result from the confirmatory test, and the latter has 15 days from receipt of notice to challenge the result.
“Failure to file a challenge within the prescribed period shall make the positive drug test result from the confirmatory test final. A positive result from the challenge test is likewise deemed final.
(Ali Vicoy|Manila Bulletin)
According to PCSO general manager Alexander Balutan, they want to show their support to President Duterte’s anti-illegal drug campaign. He said the test took place on Monday.
PCSO said the test was administered to 54 employees from San Marcelino, 398 employees from the main office, and 102 from the Lung Center of the Philippines. All in all, 554 employees were tested.
Balutan said that such is in compliance with the Civil Service (CSC) Memorandum Circular No. 13 s. 2017 issued on April 19, 2017 where incumbent public officials and employees of government agencies and government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) shall be made to undergo a “mandatory, random, and suspicionless” drug testing as a condition for retention in service.
“Apart from the anti-illegal gambling campaign, PCSO is fully and strongly supporting the President’s all-out war on drugs… This is not to ‘catch’ employees who are using drugs. The random testing is to promote safety by deterring regulated employees from misusing drugs and abusing alcohol,” he added.
Asia Pacific Medical & Diagnostics, Inc. (APDMI), the laboratory that administered the test, is a private accredited drug screening laboratory of the Department of Health, conducting drug testing program since 2000 for private companies, government agencies, GOCCs, including local and international schools in the Philippines.
“When you say mandatory, everyone can undergo drug test but as far as the choice of the date, time, and how frequent it is, there’s an element of surprise. It may be the selection of employees itself or the date and time. No one knows until the day itself. In this case, there’s a particular target for a particular schedule,” Dr. Bernard M. Regalado, medical director and head of drug testing laboratory of APDMI, said.
The laboratory said the head of office/agency or his/her designated person shall notify the official or employee of the positive result from the confirmatory test, and the latter has 15 days from receipt of notice to challenge the result.
“Failure to file a challenge within the prescribed period shall make the positive drug test result from the confirmatory test final. A positive result from the challenge test is likewise deemed final.