The City Government of Davao has amended Executive Order (EO) No. 24, Series of 2010, which established the city’s anti-drug abuse policy and drug-free workplace program and instituted the drug testing requirement for all city government employees.
Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte signed EO 77, Series of 2022 on December 23, 2022.
“There is a need to amend certain provisions of the aforementioned Executive Order to strengthen the implementation of the city’s Anti-Drug Abuse Policy and Drug-Free Workplace Program,” EO 77 states.
The new EO provides that the City Government of Davao Drug-Free Workplace Assessment Committee shall be composed of the city mayor as the chairperson and the city administrator as the vice chairperson.
The members are the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Health chairperson, the city legal officer, the city health officer, the Human Resource Management Office (HRMO) head, Davao City Treatment, and Rehabilitation Center for Drug Dependents head, two representatives from the existing employee’s union/association, and the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council, which also serves as the secretariat.
The particular body is mandated to formulate guidelines for the curtailment and prevention of drug abuse in the workplace; conduct advocacy activities on drug abuse prevention and control, disseminate the policy guidelines for employees’ knowledge, awareness, and compliance, and conduct random drug testing; oversee the implementation of the policies and guidelines on the drug-free workplace in the City Government of Davao and recommend updating if and when necessary; and evaluate positive cases and refer to the proper health facilities or offices and submit reports and recommendations to the heads of concerned departments for action.
Meanwhile, the mandatory drug test covers all officials, employees, and/or persons working in the city government and barangays regardless of their position or status.
Drug testing is mandatory for pre-employment of all prospective City Government employees, whether on a temporary, permanent, contractual, or job order/contract for services bases, or those engaged in a consultancy arrangement and as a requirement for promotion, for a permanent appointment, and renewal of appointments, contractual or job order/contract for services, and consultancy arrangements.
However, local government workers are also mandated to strictly adhere to the Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Act, which prohibits the use of dangerous drugs.
All city employees selected from a random selection procedure are also directed to submit to the random drug test.
According to the EO, the Davao City Treatment and Rehabilitation Center for Drug Dependents shall adopt systematic drug treatment, rehabilitation, and aftercare services for all city employees who tested positive for illegal drug use.
Check the full provisions of EO 77, Series of 2022 here ? https://dcstaging.davaocity.gov.ph/transparency/executive-orders/2022-2/ CIO
