CALAMBA CITY, Laguna (PIA) – Law-enforcement agencies continue the roll-out of Oplan Harabas Ligtas Biyahe operations to ensure the safety of all road users amid the expected surge of travelers in the Calabarzon region for the Holy Week.
The program is led by the Land Transportation Office (LTO), in cooperation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Philippine National Police (PNP), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
On April 11, Oplan Harabas operations are conducted in Calamba City and San Pedro City, Laguna, where 229 bus drivers and conductors have undergone a random drug test, three of them tested positive for the presence of dangerous drugs.
The three drivers who tested positive is currently in the custody of PDEA for confirmatory testing using chemical analysis, while their licenses were turned over to LTO for proper filing of appropriate penalties.
During the PIA Presscon with PDEA on April 11, PDEA Plans and Operations Service director Wardley Getalla said that the operation is to ensure the safety of travelers and employees in the transportation sector with the heavy passenger volume and expected road congestions.
“We conduct surprise and mandatory drug test to drivers, conductors, and other personnel in bus terminals to ensure the safety of our passengers this Holy Week,” Getalla said.
The PDEA director adds that Oplan Harabas is also one of the ways of the agency to combat the spread of illegal drugs going to provinces.
“We inspect the terminals, baggage, buses, and our passengers using our narcotics detection dogs. Our goal here is to ensure that our land transportation vehicles are not being used to deliver and traffic drugs to our provinces.”
Previous Oplan Harabas operations in the region were done during All Saints’ Day, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. (CH/PIA-Laguna)
