Bacolod: Six public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers in this city have been banned from driving for life after testing positive for illegal drug use, the Land Transportation Office-Negros Island Region (LTO-NIR) confirmed on Monday. In a statement, LTO-NIR officer-in-charge Director Jeck Conlu said the six drivers were among those who underwent the random drug test during the 2025 ‘Oplan Harabas’ operation at the Bacolod North Terminal on Oct. 29.

According to Philippines News Agency, the LTO-NIR is committed to ensuring that every PUV driver is drug-free and fit to drive, aiming to eliminate any threat posed by impaired drivers to public safety on the region’s roads. The ban or revocation means a perpetual disqualification from holding a license again.

The LTO has stated that disqualified individuals are placed under an alarm list to ensure that they can never operate a motor vehicle legally in the Philippines. Conlu noted that the drivers tested positive for shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride), based on the results released by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Western Visayas, using rigorous gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis.

Among the six, two are traditional jeepney drivers, while the remaining four are modern bus drivers. They were part of a group of 100 individuals who were tested during the ‘Oplan Harabas,’ which was a critical part of the Department of Transportation’s ‘Oplan Biyaheng Ayos: Undas 2025’ campaign.