In a bid to curb road accidents, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) asked the transport sector to submit their drivers and conductors to voluntary drug testing as a precautionary measure to avoid their personnel from being under the influence of drugs or to learn if they are habitual users.

PDEA Director General Dionisio R. Santiago issued the call in light of the recent tragedy involving an Eso Nice bus which fell into a 30-meter ravine in Barangay Banangan, Sablan, Benguet last August 18 where 42 people died and seven others were seriously injured.

He stressed that the move was necessary after the alarming increase of road accidents blamed on the miscalculations of the drivers who are either under the influence of drugs or alcohol or both.

“We have seen an alarming rise in these incidents where drivers use dangerous drugs to stay awake especially if they are driving overnight or long distances. We are calling on the leaders of transport groups to help us police their ranks and encourage their members to submit themselves for drug testing as a deterrent to illegal drug use among drivers,’’ Santiago said.

Roberto S. Opena, PDEA Region 1 Director and concurrent commander of the PDEA Area Task Group Alpha, confirmed that the joint operation of PDEA and the La Union Police led to the arrest of Nice Bus Corporation dispatcher Alfredo Rivera who sold a sachet of shabu worth P1,000 to an undercover PDEA agent.

The PDEA chief added that the incident “gives credence to reports indicating that several road accidents involving public transport vehicles might not have been due to mechanical trouble but rather because the driver was under the influence of dangerous drugs.’’

“We are optimistic that our counterparts in the transport sector will cooperate with us so that we can lessen the incidences of drug-related road accidents,’’ Santiago noted.

Meanwhile, the PDEA cited elected officials of Eastern Samar for voluntarily submitting themselves to drug testing at the PDEA national headquarters in Quezon City in support to the national anti-drug campaign.

Santiago said that the drug testing process was undertaken on the elected officials of the province through the request of Rep. Ben Evardone of the lone district of Eastern Samar.

Eastern Samar gained national attention when its local fishermen were among the first to recover sacks and scattered bricks of high grade cocaine that were washed ashore after being dumped by the crew of the Chinese fishing vessel F/V King Yue 1 on December 2009.

Since then, the multi-agency Task Force Samar Cocaine Bricks composed of the PDEA, PNP, Philippine Coast Guard and the local government units in the region recovered a total of 554.116 kilograms of cocaine.

While international counterparts reported that the total haul was more or less two tons, PDEA is still looking into the real story behind the huge shipment of illegal drugs and how much drifted into Philippine territorial waters.

“We appreciate the initiative of Congressman Evardone and the elected local government officials of Eastern Samar. This is the very essence of leadership by example where they want to show their constituents that they have the moral ascendancy to lead and become pro-active partners of PDEA in the national anti-drug campaign.”