Two bus drivers test positive for drugs as MMDA steps up pre-Undas safety checks

Ahead of the Undas long weekend, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority carried out random drug screenings at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange and three bus terminals in Cubao. One of 32 drivers at PITX and one of 86 drivers in Cubao tested positive in the initial tests. MMDA Chairman Don Artes ordered the drivers to be suspended while the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency conducts confirmatory testing with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

The Land Transportation Office said licenses would be reinstated if the second test is negative, but revoked if prohibited substances are confirmed. The inspection, coordinated with the LTFRB, PNP-Highway Patrol Group and the MMDA Medical Clinic, also checked fire extinguishers, early warning devices and other emergency gear on buses. The checks follow President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to tighten security and protect travelers during the holiday surge.