Sibulan: Some 677 police personnel in Negros Oriental have been randomly chosen for drug testing, an official said on Tuesday. Capt. Stephen Polinar, spokesperson of the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NOrPPO), announced at a press conference at Camp Fernandez in Sibulan town that this was the second batch of police personnel to undergo random drug testing.

According to Philippines News Agency, the first batch of 295 police personnel, including non-uniformed personnel (NUP), was tested last month. Capt. Polinar stated that the surprise drug tests will involve all uniformed personnel, including officers and NUPs, and will be conducted in batches following a directive from higher headquarters. The current drug tests, taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday, include personnel from various police stations and other NOrPPO units, such as the Provincial Mobile Force Companies.

Capt. Polinar explained that the purpose of the surprise drug tests is to determine if any police personnel are using illegal drugs, particularly shabu, which remains in the body for about 72 hours. NOrPPO currently has a workforce of 1,680 uniformed and non-uniformed personnel. Even ranking officials will be subject to the random drug testing, as emphasized by Polinar.

The random drug tests are also connected to an ongoing investigation into the deaths of three policemen and a woman working at a bar in Sibulan town, who were killed in separate but related shooting incidents last January. A police officer arrested after the shootings is reportedly under investigation for alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade.

Capt. Polinar assured that the results of the drug tests will remain confidential. However, he emphasized that appropriate actions, such as filing an administrative case, will be taken against those who test positive for drug use.