Davao City First District Representative Paolo Z. Duterte pushed for the passage of a bill requiring elected and appointed public officials to undergo random drug testing through hair follicle tests every six months.
Being at the forefront of public service with the mandate towards integrity and modesty, Duterte said, it is imperative that public officials and government employees should be the very first to uphold such constitutional mandate by submitting themselves towards accountability measures that serve as a tool in addressing the fulfilment of the mandate.
For this purpose, the veteran legislator filed House Bill (HB) 10744 in the current 19th Congress.
The measure covers elected and appointed officials of public offices, including the President of the Republic of the Philippines.
The bill also encouraged institutionalizing voluntary random drug testing of candidates for electoral posts within 90 days prior the election day, amending for the purpose of the Republic Act 9165 or The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
“Considering the initiatives towards the deterrence of drug use and abuse, exemptions or favors in the mandatory nature of random drug testing shall not extend to certain class privilege such as the elected and appointed officials, since it becomes imperative upon their own mandate that they shall lead the life of modesty and integrity,” the seasoned lawmaker said in his explanatory note.
“Mandatory random drug testing every six months shall become binding among elected and appointed officials.”
He underscored that in the application of the equal protection of the law, mandatory random drug testing every six months shall become binding among elected and appointed officials and voluntary drug testing is encouraged to candidates of electoral posts, pursuant to what the bill foremost seeks.
Under the HB 10744, it is the policy of the state to maintain peace and order, protect one’s life, liberty, and property, and promote the general welfare of the people.
The Constitution also reiterates that the state shall maintain honesty and integrity in the public service, highlighting the importance of accountability of public officers and employees, with high regard to the service equipped with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency, actions toward patriotism and justice, and lives with modesty.
Duterte’s bill, once enacted, makes it obligatory for public officials to hold accountability measures such as mandatory random drug testing inclined with the officials’ mandate of promoting the general welfare of the people, especially in terms of mitigating, if not totally eliminating, drug use and abuse in the community.
The proposed law states that authorized drug testing shall be done by any government forensic laboratories or by any of the drug testing laboratories accredited and monitored by the Department of Health (DOH) to safeguard the quality of test results.
DOH is also tasked under the bill to take steps in setting the price of the drug test with DOH accredited drug testing centers to further reduce the cost of such drug test.
The drug testing shall employ two testing methods: the screening test should be done through “hair follicle drug test” and the confirmatory test through “urine drug test”.
The drug testing shall employ, among others, two testing methods: one, the screening test which should be done through “hair follicle drug test” and will determine the positive result as well as the type of the drug used, second, the confirmatory test which shall be done through “urine drug test” that will confirm a positive screening test.
The drug test certificates issued by accredited drug testing centers shall be valid for a one-year period from the date of issue which may be used for other purposes.
