World · Philippines Bureau
Remulla congratulates Isabela official on negative drug test result
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla has congratulated Isabela Vice Mayor Jeryll Harold Respicio after the official tested negative for illegal drugs, though the cabinet official expressed continued concerns about his conduct.
LSN Philippines ·
MANILA — Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla acknowledged Vice Mayor Jeryll Harold Respicio's negative result in drug testing while maintaining reservations about the Isabela official's behavior.
"Congratulations. Now that it's confirmed he's not on shabu, it's really confirmed that his craziness is natural," Remulla said in a message to media inquiries.
The test result cleared Respicio of illegal drug use, resolving one aspect of the controversy surrounding the vice mayor. However, Remulla's qualified response suggests the Interior Department remains focused on behavioral concerns independent of substance use.
The outcome marks a development in the broader scrutiny of Respicio's conduct that prompted the drug testing requirement.