THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has said two more police personnel have tested positive in a confirmatory drug test conducted.
Meanwhile, 18 high-ranking police officers who resigned after being linked to illegal drugs will not receive any benefits, PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda told a House panel Thursday.
In another development, the PNP relieved the chief of police in Rodriguez, Rizal over command responsibility following the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy.
“Yes, it was two non-commissioned police officers,” said PNP spokesman Col. Jean Fajardo when asked if there were more cops who tested positive in confirmatory drug tests aside from the recently relieved Mandaluyong police chief Col. Cesar Gerente.
The drug tests were conducted after the cops tested positive in the random drug tests conducted by the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) in August, Fajardo said.
According to her, the same urine specimen from the random drug test was used in the confirmatory drug test.
“The urine specimen submitted by subject personnel during the random drug test was the same specimen subjected to the confirmatory test, which yielded positive results also,” she said.
Fajardo said she was still waiting for an update from the NCRPO regarding the designated areas or units of the two cops.
On Wednesday, Eastern Police District (EPD) chief Brig. Gen. Wilson Asueta said Gerente had been relieved from his post after testing positive for illegal drugs.
Gerente was placed under the regional personnel holding and accounting section of the NCRPO regional personnel records management division pending his confirmatory test and the police colonel also surrendered his service firearms and was instructed to issue an explanation.
Meanwhile, police Col. Mary Grace Madayag was appointed as the acting chief of police of Mandaluyong City, replacing Gerente.