SC dismisses employee found positive for marijuana use

THE SUPREME  Court (SC) has ordered the dismissal of a worker who tested positive for illegal drug use in January.

In a resolution promulagated in March and published online on Wednesday, the High Court en banc found storekeeper Mark de Guzman guilty of grave misconduct due to the use of a prohibited drug and ordered his dismissal from the service.

The SC Medical and Dental Services likewise directed the referral of de Guzman to a suitable drug rehabilitation facility at his own expense.

The respondent smoked marijuana inside SC premises and cigarettes at the stockroom of the Property Division in the Old SC Building.

Fellow employees also found out he would go to blind spots not covered by security cameras during office hours to smoke. He covered windows with plastic sheets to prevent smoke from coming out.

When questioned in December last year, De Guzman said he only smoked cigarettes. He submitted himself to a voluntary forensic exam in January at the National Bureau of Investigation, where he tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol, an active component of marijuana.

He then admitted marijuana use, claiming family and marital problems that were compounded by stress due to the Covid-19 pandemic. (Benjamin Pulta)