MAYOR LEADS DRUG TEST. Candelaria Mayor George Suayan (2nd from left) and Vice Mayor Macario Boongaling lead the voluntaty drug test of 754 local government workers. With them in photo are Quezon police director Col. Ledon Monte (right) and Lt. Col. Melvin Montante, chief of the Regional Intelligence Division of the Calabarzon police office. Photo by GEMI FORMARAN
Quezon mayor, 755 local gov’t workers undergo voluntary drug test
CANDELARIA, Quezon — Local officials of this progressive town led by its mayor and vice mayor on Monday voluntarily subjected themselves to a drug test,
The move was to prove their being drug- free.
Headed by town Mayor George Suayan and Vice Mayor Macario Boongaling, the massive voluntary drug testing was also joined by four town councilors, 23 barangay chairmen, 176 village councilmen, 348 barangay watchmen, 68 Sanggunian Kabataan members, eight traffic enforcers and 127 barangay secretary and treasurers.
Quezon police director Col. Ledon Monte, who facilitated the activity, along with Regional Intelligence Division chief Lt. Col. Melvin Montante and Candelaria police chief Lt. Col. Dennis de Leon, said what the local officials did was in support to BIDA (Buhay Ingatan, Droga ay Ayawan) Program launched by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Monte said the whole day activity was a positive response of the local government to the appeal of Calabarzon police director Brig. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. to all local officials in the region to show their strong commitment in order to address the problem on illegal drugs in their respective localities.
The holding of the activity coincided with the birthday celebration of Vice Mayor Boongaling, who was the town mayor prior to the election of his nephew, Mayor Suayan.
