- PRO XI conducts simultaneous random drug tests of its personnel
THE POLICE Regional Office (PRO) XI conducted simultaneous drug screening of all its personnel across Southern Mindanao last Jan. 2 in the wake of the cop’s fatal attack on a bus passenger and his fellow officers on Dec. 28, 2024.
PRO XI spokesperson Major Catherine Dela Rey said the initiative was part of the PNP’s ongoing Internal Disciplinary Program to ensure a drug-free organization.
Police regional director Brig Gen Leon Victor Rosete ordered the tests, carried out without prior notice, in various police stations and police provincial offices. The PNP Crime Laboratory administered the drug screening according to strict protocols to ensure accuracy, confidentiality, and fairness.
“The implementation of random drug testing further strengthens public confidence in the police force,” Rosete said. “It underscores the PNP’s commitment to self-regulation and transparency, highlighting a culture of accountability among its personnel.”
He said the PNP, under the leadership of Director General Rommel Marbil, remains steadfast in its zero-tolerance policy on illegal drug use.
Meanwhile, as of this writing, the PNP Crime Laboratory has yet to release the results of the screening.
On Dec. 28, a murderous rampage by Cpl. Alfred Dawatan Sabas, assigned to Police Station 7 of the General Santos City Police Office, left one bus passenger dead and two cops manning a checkpoint wounded.
The shooting began in Barangay Batasan, Makilala, North Cotabato, where the suspect shot a civilian passenger in the head, killing him instantly. He then forced the bus driver to continue the journey.
Upon reaching a police checkpoint in Barangay New Opon, Magsaysay, Davao del Sur, the suspect turned on the officers, shooting and injuring two of them. Sabas later tested positive for drug use.
Photo courtesy of PRO 11
