2 weeks ago
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ILOILO CITY — A taxi driver and a tricycle driver tested positive for illegal drug use during a surprise drug testing operation conducted at the Ceres Terminal on Tuesday morning in the Jaro district, this city.
The random drug testing was a joint operation of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Region 6 (Western Visayas).
SURPRISE TEST Personnel from the regional offices of the Land Transportation Office and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency conduct a random drug testing operation at the Ceres Terminal in Iloilo City on April 15, 2025. PHOTO BY RJAY ZURIAGA CASTOR
Gaudioso Geduspan, regional director of LTO-6, said the random drug testing procedure is part of the agency's "Oplan Harabas" operation, which aims to ensure the safety of the commuting public, particularly during peak travel seasons such as Holy Week and the summer vacation.
Geduspan said that the random drug testing ensures compliance with road safety standards and helps guarantee that public transport services are safe for passengers.
"We have to go beyond. For us in LTO, we have to go beyond inspection of roadworthiness of the public utility vehicles, we have to go beyond law enforcement," he said in an interview.
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"Now in the Holy Week, we are expecting a surge of passengers in the terminal, and we have to ensure that the terminal and drivers coming in and out are drug-free," he added.
The two drivers will undergo confirmatory testing by the PDEA as required under the Dangerous Drugs Act.
Geduspan said a show cause order will also be issued against the drivers, pending results of the confirmatory test.
A total of 106 public utility drivers and conductors were tested during the operation.
