23 anti-drug Cordillera cops cleared of drug use

CAMP BADO DANGWA, La Trinidad, Benguet – The leadership of the Police Regional Office in the Cordillera disclosed all the 23 members of the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group and other anti-drug operatives are clear on the presence of THC-Metabolites and Methamphetamine both dangerous drugs in their systems after the conduct of an unannounced random drug testing recently.

Chief Supt. Benjamin B. Magalong, PRO-COR regional director, said Cordillera police must be straight in their functions and duties regardless of how deep operations are being made especially in anti-drugs operations.

“Gone are those days when operatives have to be with drug pushers and even have to use dangerous drugs to penetrate deeper in the underground activities of lawless elements that greatly affect their performance of their assigned duties and thereby compromising their operations,” Magalong said.

Senior Superintendent Dalmacio W. Magantino, head of the Regional Crime Laboratory Office-Cordillera, confirmed that all of the 23 anti-illegal drugs operatives, twenty are from RAIDSOTG, two are from Benguet PPO and one in La Trinidad MPS were all negative of any illegal substance in their body thereby indicating their non-use of illegal drugs.

According to him, All operatives were randomly called last Dec.10, for drug testing aside from the regular quarterly drug testing being implemented by the PNP in order to check whether or not they have been using illegal drugs while conducting operations or during the regular course of discharging their assigned duties.

Magalong said that the PNP through RAIDSOTG as the primary law enforcement agency of the country, shall continue to support the campaign against illegal drugs to conduct forceful, intensive and unrelenting campaign against drug trafficking and use of illegal drugs region wide and accept its mandate under RA9165 as significant partner of PDEA in the campaign against the proliferation of illegal drugs in their respective areas of jurisdiction.