Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla has paid the ₱28,011 cost of a drug test taken by Isabela Vice Mayor Harold Respicio.
Respicio confirmed the payment in a Facebook post after Remulla commented on the post and showed a payment confirmation for the amount sent to the vice mayor’s GCash account.
Remulla also asked Respicio if he was satisfied after the payment was made.
“Eto na. Happy?” Remulla commented.
The Interior secretary later confirmed to reporters that the amount had been paid. He said he used his assistant’s GCash account because he does not have his own account.
“Yes. I don’t have Gcash so I used my assistants account. But it’s paid,” Remulla said in a Viber message to reporters.
The payment followed an earlier exchange between the two officials over Respicio’s drug test.
Before the payment, Remulla said he would obtain Respicio’s contact number to send the reimbursement. Respicio jokingly declined to provide his personal number, saying he might receive a text from the secretary.
“Sorry Jonvic. I can’t give you my personal number. Baka i-text mo ‘ko,” Respicio replied.
Respicio later posted his GCash QR code so the reimbursement could be sent to him.
Remulla had earlier challenged Respicio to undergo a drug test after a video circulated showing the vice mayor arguing with barangay captains during a Sangguniang Bayan session.
Remulla said at the time that Respicio appeared to have used drugs based on his behavior.
Respicio subsequently underwent a drug test, which returned negative results for cocaine, shabu, marijuana and other prohibited drugs.
The payment covered the ₱28,011 expense incurred by Respicio for the drug test.
The exchange between Remulla and Respicio included the secretary’s challenge, the vice mayor’s drug test, the negative result and the subsequent reimbursement.
Remulla confirmed that the payment had been completed through his assistant’s GCash account.
