PDEA conducts drug test with BIR's workers

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

CALASIAO – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency conducted last Tuesday a dangerous drug test at the personnel of  the Regional Office and Revenue District Office-4  of the Bureau of Internal Revenue based here.

 

DRUG TEST. Lawyer Neil Cordero (standing background), chief of the Regional Investigation 

Division of the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s Region-1, poses with the medical staff of the

 Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for the drug test conducted recently for all the

 personnel of the tax agency in the Region-1 office and Revenue District Office-4 in Calasiao, 

Pangasinan. PHOTO BY MORTZ C . ORTIGOZA

“This is in connection with the mandate of the general management ng BIR to have a drug free environment sa buong Pilipinas. So for Region-1 we opted na hinde lang random but an unannounced 100 percent“, Lawyer Neil Cordero stressed.

Cordero said that the regional office here and the RDO-4 office were the last site of the seven offices of the BIR in Ilocos Region the PDEA had conducted a urine examination for narcotics residue in the human body.

“All employees so far conducted in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Urdaneta City, Alaminos. This is the last office and in Calasiao,” he said.

As of noon of Tuesday, where the last 50 workers of the tax agency have yet to submit themselves, the lawyer said all the personnel of the BIR in the region have been tested negative.

Cordero said the personnel of the six revenue offices based in the cities of Laoag, Vigan, San Fernando, Alaminos, Urdaneta and here did not know when the exact time and date of the random testing.

WAITING. Personnel of the Revenue District Office-4 of the Bureau of Internal Revenue based in Calasiao, Pangasinan wait for their turn on the dangerous drug’s test conducted recently by the medical staff of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. At the background standing is Mr. Lee Caday, head of the Taxpayers' Assistance Unit. PHOTO BY MORTZ C . ORTIGOZA

The drug test of the six RDOs and the regional office was taken in a week.

Cordero is the present chief of the Regional Investigation Division of the tax agency here. 

Mr. Lee Caday, head of the Taxpayers' Assistance Unit, said  the drug testing was in compliance with Revenue Memorandum Order 37-2013 pursuant to Republic Act 9165 or Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

"RMO 37-2013 prescribes the policies and guidelines in the formulation and implementation of a Comprehensive Drug-Free Workplace program, " he stressed .,"