The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Wednesday conducted random drug testing of bus drivers and conductors in public transport terminals here ahead of the expected influx of passengers during the Holy Week break.
In an interview, Maripe de Guzman, public information officer of PDEA Region 1 (Ilocos), said they target about 100 public utility drivers and conductors in various terminals for random testing within the day.
“The surprise drug testing on bus drivers aims to ensure the safety of passengers,” De Guzman told the Philippine News Agency during an inspection and random drug testing at the Florida Bus station in this city.
“Laoag is the main transport hub for northbound passengers so we opted to have it here with the Land Transportation Office as the lead and PDEA as a support unit,” she added.
The operation, dubbed “Oplan Harabas,” was implemented under Republic Act 9165, also known as the “Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002,” and Republic Act 10586, or the “Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act of 2013.”
The initiative aims to prevent road accidents caused by drivers under the influence of dangerous drugs.
Drivers who will test positive will be subjected to further validation to determine the level of their drug use, and those found with severe level will undergo a rehabilitation process, De Guzman said.
Drivers found to be under the influence of illegal drugs, or even alcohol, will have their driver’s license confiscated, the PDEA official warned.
As of writing, the PDEA has yet to release the results of the random drug testing.
Meanwhile, as a security measure, law enforcers have deployed trained dogs to various public transport terminals here to determine the possible presence of contraband inside the luggage and packages of passengers.
By Leilanie Adriano
(PNA)