Senators ask PDEA to abandon planned mandatory drug testing on students
By Roel Tibay
Published Jul 12, 2018 03:49 pm
By Hannah Torregoza
Senators on Thursday called on the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to abandon its plans to pursue a mandatory drug testing on Grade 4 students, expressing their support on the Department of Education’s (DepEd) to reject the proposal.
(Ali Vicoy / Manila Bulletin)
The lawmakers made the call after the DepEd stood pat on its decision in limiting the random drug testing to secondary and tertiary level students, as mandated by the law.
DepEd Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones made the announcement following a meeting with the PDEA, the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) which insisted on the need for a mandatory drug test to address the sudden increase of children involved in illegal drugs.
“PDEA should drop the proposal and plans to conduct drug testing from of students from Grade 4 onwards,” Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito said.
Ejercito had earlier thumbed down the proposal as this could prove traumatic to school children. He also said funds to be allocated for the mandatory drug testing for them should be channeled to other endeavors.
“I am not in favor as this might have a traumatic effect on the students in the primary level,” he reiterated.
“(I) would rather (that the government) use the billions needed for information and educational campaign on drugs,” he stressed.
Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, likewise, echoed Ejercito’s position and said the government should be launching the mandatory drug testing on government officials.
“Instead of the children, why don’t we have a mandatory drug testing first on all public officials?” Escudero pointed out during a Kapihan sa Senado forum.
In the first place, those in the narco-list of the PDEA are officials and not children.
“Is it more acceptable for the PDEA that there are government officials involved in drugs or who are drug addicts than those children?” Escudero argued.
Escudero said authorities ought to target those in the supply chain of illegal drugs, rather than the end-users.
“That’s why I am not in favor that they allot funds to target students on the anti-drug campaign,” he said.
“They should target us first in government than these defenseless children,” Escudero said.
(Ali Vicoy / Manila Bulletin)
The lawmakers made the call after the DepEd stood pat on its decision in limiting the random drug testing to secondary and tertiary level students, as mandated by the law.
DepEd Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones made the announcement following a meeting with the PDEA, the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) which insisted on the need for a mandatory drug test to address the sudden increase of children involved in illegal drugs.
“PDEA should drop the proposal and plans to conduct drug testing from of students from Grade 4 onwards,” Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito said.
Ejercito had earlier thumbed down the proposal as this could prove traumatic to school children. He also said funds to be allocated for the mandatory drug testing for them should be channeled to other endeavors.
“I am not in favor as this might have a traumatic effect on the students in the primary level,” he reiterated.
“(I) would rather (that the government) use the billions needed for information and educational campaign on drugs,” he stressed.
Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, likewise, echoed Ejercito’s position and said the government should be launching the mandatory drug testing on government officials.
“Instead of the children, why don’t we have a mandatory drug testing first on all public officials?” Escudero pointed out during a Kapihan sa Senado forum.
In the first place, those in the narco-list of the PDEA are officials and not children.
“Is it more acceptable for the PDEA that there are government officials involved in drugs or who are drug addicts than those children?” Escudero argued.
Escudero said authorities ought to target those in the supply chain of illegal drugs, rather than the end-users.
“That’s why I am not in favor that they allot funds to target students on the anti-drug campaign,” he said.
“They should target us first in government than these defenseless children,” Escudero said.