Mayor Ondo fires 4 employees, brings to 15 total number of dismissals due to drug use

WAGING WAR ON DRUGS. Mayor Ondo meets the city’s police force to tackle the drug problem. (Photo by Joseph Levi Sausa)

MAYOR Edward C. Codilla dismissed from the service four employees of the City Hall who were found positive of substance abuse during the latest round of random drug test conducted on Sept. 15 last year. Those who tested positive were three regular and one plantilla (casual) employees.

Mayor Codilla based his decision on the recommendation of the Disciplinary Action Committee (DAC) chaired by City Administrator Francis Pepito with department heads and representatives from first and second level employees as members. The DAC is tasked to conduct investigations and hearings on erring officials and employees of the city government.

The latest termination brings to 15 the number of employees (nine regular and six casual) dismissed by Mayor Codilla during three rounds of drug tests conducted last year. The first test was on Aug. 4 wherein six regular employees were fired while the second was on Sept. 8 that resulted to the termination of five casuals.

The employees were terminated based on the offense of grave misconduct. Under Section 46(A)(3), Rule 10 of the Revised Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service, grave misconduct is punishable by dismissal even for the first offense.

“It must be stressed that as public servants, we are duty bound to uphold the ethical and moral standards as we are constitutionally mandated to serve the public with utmost efficiency and credibility and to be accountable at all times. By using prohibited drugs, respondent(s) (have) not only disrespected and injured (their) own (selves) but the public as well,” Mayor Codilla wrote in his decision.

“Indeed, a user of a prohibited drug has no room in public service and must be immediately stamped out so as to preserve the dignity of the institution of public service,” the decision goes on. “As father of this city, I am duty bound to eradicate the soonest possible time this drug menace in our midst which society abhors and condemns, and see to it that we will have competent, efficient and honest city government employees who are entitled to serve and be respected by the public.”