PDEA pushes for mandatory drug testing of students

THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is coordinating with the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) and the Department of Education (DepEd) for the possible mandatory drug testing of students from grade 4 and above, PDEA director Aaron Aquino said Thursday, June 21.

Aquino said they will push for the mandatory conduct of drug testing of the students amid concerns that several students are involved in illegal drugs.

He said it will be part of the government's crackdown on illegal drugs.

"Iyung mga series of arrests na ginagawa natin, iyung nai-involve ay mga estudyante saka mga t eacher s. Iyung pinaka-youngest naming naano (naaresto) is I think 10 years old," he said.

For her part, DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones said she don’t see anything wrong in the implementation of drug testing among the students as long as it has parent’s consent.

"Iyung mga ganoon, ang kailangan sampling lang. Sa present regulation, kailangang may consent ng parent," she sai d.

Briones said the result of the drug test should however be confidential and could not be used to expel students from school s.

Earlier, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director Chief Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar also proposed the random inspection of student’s bags and lockers in schools following the arrest of several minors involved in selling illegal drugs to other students.

"The background is because there was a case... elementary students that were caught in possession of 20 or 30 sachets of marijuana na binebenta sa school at ginagamit pa nila so well that was the result of the inspection conducted by the teacher," he said.

"So naisip ko na mas maganda siguro na the teachers have surprise inspection of the bags and lockers," he added.

However, Eleazar said they are still coordinating with the DepEd for the approval of such proposal .

(SunStar Philippines)