HINIGARAN MAYOR, COPS TAKE DRUG TESTS

Mayor Caroll Guanco led the 23 policemen, two councilors, and eight
government employees and officials, in Hinigaran, who underwent drug
testing by the PNP Crime Laboratory yesterday.

Forty-eight policemen of La Carlota City also went through similar drug
tests, bringing to 461 the number of policemen in Negros Occidental have
been subjected to mandatory drug testing.

Hinigaran Councilors Edgar Lagtapon and Raul Pajarillo and three members of
the Bureau of Fire and Protection joined Guanco and town policemen in the
drug testing.

PNP provincial police director Vicente Ponteras yesterday said the result
of the drug testing of 33 Talisay policemen will be known this week.

Ponteras said he hopes to complete the drug testing of more than 1,300
policemen in Negros Occidental, this year.

No policeman has tested positive for prohibited drugs at the PNP Crime
Laboratory so far.

The launching of a drug testing program for members of the police force has
been ordered by President Arroyo.

The 27 police chiefs and mobile group directors of Negros Occidental also
recently tested negative for prohibited drugs.