LTO 10 TO REVIEW DRUG TESTING CENTERS

THE regional office of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) 10 will tighten
its monitoring of drug testing centers following reports that many driver
applicants secured their licenses despite testing positive for illegal
drugs use.

LTO 10 Assistant Regional Director Napal G. Garcia said their new policy on
drug testing centers may have to be institutionalized. Six drug testing
centers in the city have been accredited by the LTO 10.

Garcia made the disclosure in response to a special report by Councilor
Reynaldo Advincula questioning the validity of the results of the drug tests.

Advincula said there could be a collusion between the LTO 10 and the drug
testing centers since all the results of drug tests come out negative.

Councilor Advincula said he doesn't believe all their tests are negative.

"Basin naay commission sila ana (Probably they all had commissions),"
Advincula said even as he pushed for an investigation into the case.

Garcia said he doesn't discount Advincula's theory that the specimens of
some applicants may have been switched with the others so they test
negative for drugs.

Advincula said it's possible that something "irregular" is happening in
some drug centers in the city.

He said there is a room where applicants would give their specimens in
bottles or whatever containers given to him or her.

Advincula said there was no checking on the applicant since it's easier to
take the specimen contained in the bottle or container.

For his part Garcia said the LTO 10 will study ways to strictly ensure the
authenticity of the specimens given by the applicants. He said the LTO and
the Department of Health (DOH) can find ways to do so.

Garcia also said there may be lots of applicants who were unable to secure
licenses since they tested positive for drugs.

The LTO 10 official said there is a monthly report submitted to them by the
drug testing centers on the drug tests they conducted.