The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) clarifies that Ronald Arcega and Jimmy Nueva, who were arrested by operatives of the Batasan Police Station for allegedly sniffing shabu inside a house in Barangay Payatas in Quezon City are not employees of the Department.

The clarification is being made following a news report from GMA 7 which mentioned that Arcega and Nueva work for DSWD as steelman and welder, respectively.

The DSWD Human Resource Management and Development Service confirmed that there are no staff by those names in the Department’s roster of employees.  Upon investigation, the two are construction workers under the service provider contracted by the Department to construct its new building.

The Department emphasized that it maintains high ethical standards for its officials and employees subjecting them to random drug testing every year.

DSWD has informed GMA 7 that the two men are not its employees for them to make appropriate action to clear up the name of the Department regarding the issue. ###