Tomas-Mike drug tests don’t settle the issue

Less functional than ice bucket challenge and more pointless than mannequin challenge

SO CEBU City’s political rivals submitted themselves to separate drug tests. Results on urine test were negative for former mayor Michael. No surprise if Mayor Tomas Osmea would be found negative too.

No one has alleged that Tomas was taking drugs.

Mike should’ve asked for alcohol test instead. That would’ve been nearer the intent of the exercise, whether each leader’s judgment is not impaired by substance abuse.

Osmea’s camp raised Mike’s alleged drug use in the last elections. Later, Mike was accused of protecting a drug lord while Tomas expected his name to be in the presidents list: Mike was listed but Tomas was not.

Besides, the drug tests, not being random and obviously was prepared for, are unavoidably suspect. Both Mike and Tomas readied for the tests from the time each hurled the challenge and the other accepted. They’re not stupid, as Duterte would say.

The drug test challenge could be as pointless as the current mannequin challenge or the ice bucket challenge in 2014. Or even less functional: the bucket challenge raised millions of dollars and pesos for worthy causes and the mannequin challenge provides video fun.

No drama

Mannequin challenge as the viral video craze features people imitating mannequins and being still for the camera as its unofficial soundtrack “Black Beatles” plays. Scenes of persons filmed motionless in “impressively unsustainable positions” evoke the cinematic device: activity is suspended, trapping actors in one glorious or pedestrian act, as they wait for the song’s last line (“They lose it when the DJ drops the needle”).

In contrast, the Tomas-Mike challenge is some kind of “zarzuela” starring rival politicians. And no useful purpose: the question who was drug protector or used illegal drugs remains unanswered.