DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 20 Aug) — The City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC) has endorsed to the Davao City Council a memorandum of agreement to establish a framework for a drug-free workplace system for local government employees.

Under the proposed agreement, the Southern Philippines Medical Center will partner with the city to conduct drug tests for city employees, including job orders and contractual workers.

The CADAC will represent the city under the partnership.

The item was approved on first reading during Tuesday’s regular session at the Sangguniang Panlungsod.

In a letter dated August 7, CADAC action officer Jaffar U. Marohomsalic told the city council that the Davao City Legal Office said everything was in order in terms of whether the agreement could stand.

Under the Local Government Code, it is the city mayor who signs on behalf of the city.

The legislative process makes sure that any agreement where Davao City Acting Mayor Sebastian Duterte represents the city is done with the authority of the city council.

The partnership formalizes the SPMC as the testing center for both random and non-random drug testing candidates who work for the local government.

Under the agreement, the SPMC will provide equipment such as testing kits as well as personnel who will conduct tests and confirmations.

The document identifies all city government employees, including contractual and job orders.

The MOA is prompted as the city’s facilities for the conduct of drug testing remains in progress since the reconstituting of CADAC in 2019 through executive order number 52 series of 2019.

According to a copy of the draft MOA obtained by MindaNews, the CADAC is in charge of programming the project, including the procurement of equipment. The CADAC is likewise in charge of coordinating and communicating details of the project with the SPMC.

The legislative item was referred to the joint committees on rules, health, and finance and ways and means.

Acting Mayor Sebastian Duterte does not have an anti-drug policy listed as one of the priority agenda in his mayoralty.

Duterte’s 12-point agenda for Davao City in 2025 centers on poverty alleviation, infrastructure, environment, health, education, agriculture, business, transportation, peace and order, disaster risk reduction, good governance through ICT, and tourism support.

However, he has repeatedly postured through several episodes of the city-run Bida Dabawenyo podcast that drug addicts and troublemakers have no place in the city, echoing the stance of his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who served as mayor for 22 years. The elder Duterte’s controversial bloody drug war when he was mayor, and then as president, was the reason he is now detained at The Hague for crimes against humanity.

In 2024, MindaNews reported that there were contractual personnel from the Public Safety and Security Office (PSSO) who tested positive for illegal drug use.

Acting Mayor Duterte has also repeatedly publicly accused President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of being addicted to drugs. (Yas D. Ocampo / MindaNews, with reports from Razl EJ Teman)