Puerto Rico House Majority Whip Resigns After Testing Positive For Cocaine

Calling it a mistake and an isolated incident but a mistake that never should be made, Rolando Crespo resigned from his position as a representative in the Puerto Rico House.

Crespo was informed that he had tested positive for cocaine use during a mandatory drug test for legislators on the island, on Friday. It was then that he resigned from his position as Puerto Rico House Majority Whip, the AP reported.

House Speaker Jenniffer Gonzalez had said that she would file a complaint against Crespo with the House ethics committee but Crespo decided to hold a press conference and announce his resignation instead.

"Sadly I made a mistake, that though isolated, forces me to resign because its is my responsibility to my party, to my family but mostly to my constituents that I step down," Crespo said in Spanish.

"I resign. But I resign with my head held high -- very high," Crespo said. "With the satisfaction that I was part of a winning team that knows what needs to be done for Puerto Rico."

He also said that he would enter a rehabilitation program, according to El Nuevo Dia.

Crespo's decision comes amid a climate that was not favorable towards him and his chances of clinging to his position. Gonzalez initially said that Crespo had denied to her that he used drugs.

Shortly after Gonzalez's announcement on Friday, Gov. Luis Fortuno said he was indignant about the results and urged Crespo to resign immediately instead of waiting for a decision from the ethics committee.

"This is an uncomfortable and unacceptable situation for both the legislature and for the citizens of Puerto Rico," Fortuno said in a statement.

Twitter was abuzz with the news, with dozens of Puerto Ricans criticizing Crespo. Several commenters asked who Crespo was after noting that he was a trending topic on Twitter, with others replying they were embarrassed that Puerto Rico for the first time appeared on the list for such a reason.

With news that Crespo had decided to resign, people took to Twitter to give their comments on the situation.

"I feel sorry for him," Miosotys Santiago tweeted in Spanish. "But I don't believe his words."

Crespo's first results from a drug test earlier this year were never publicized and dismissed for reasons still unclear.

Gonzalez said making the announcement about Crespo pained her because they are close.

"Legislators are the first ones who have to set an example," she said. "But we are also human beings."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact Adrian Carrasquillo at Adrian.Carrasquillo@foxnewslatino.com or on Twitter @RealAdrianC.

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