CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Seven public transport drivers, conductors, and dispatchers tested positive for illegal drug use during a surprise drug testing operation held at the city’s Agora and Bulua terminals on Tuesday morning, putting the lives of passengers at serious risk.
The random drug testing, conducted under Oplan Harabas as part of the safety measures for the Undas observance, was spearheaded by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Region 10 (PDEA-10) in coordination with the Land Transportation Office (LTO-10), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB-10), Highway Patrol Group (HPG), and Philippine National Police (PNP-10).
Out of 109 drivers, conductors, and dispatchers tested, five from the Eastbound Integrated Bus Terminal (Agora) and two from the Westbound Integrated Bus Terminal (Bulua) yielded positive results for shabu use based on the initial screening.
Authorities stressed that drug use among public transport workers poses a grave threat to commuter safety, especially during long-distance travel and peak passenger seasons like the observance of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days.
PDEA-10 said the operation aims to ensure that all transport personnel are drug-free and capable of safely ferrying passengers to their destinations. Those who tested positive were immediately turned over to authorities for further investigation and possible administrative sanctions.
Officials reminded transport operators to strictly monitor their employees and conduct regular drug tests, emphasizing that lives are at stake every time impaired individuals are allowed to drive or handle passengers.
The Oplan Harabas initiative is part of the government’s continuing effort to keep public transportation drug-free and to safeguard commuters during holidays and high-travel periods.