Palace to 2019 poll candidates: Volunteer for drug testing

P OLITICAL aspirants should go through "vol untary" drug testing to ensure Filipino voters that their preferred candidates in the 2019 midterm elections have no links to illegal drugs, Malacañang said on Friday, October 19.

In a radio interview, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said election hopefuls cannot be forced to undergo drug testing.

Panelo's statement came following the proposal of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to conduct surprise drug tests on candidates running in next year's polls.

"Well, sa tingin ko dapat voluntary. Kung ayaw, hindi naman pupuwedeng pupuwersahin mo (Drug testing should be voluntary. You cannot force candidates if they do not like it)," Panelo said.

"Kung wala naman talagang itinatago, magvo-volunteer talaga iyan. Hindi papayag 'yun [kung nasa listahan sila ng drug watch list] (If they are not hiding anything, they will really volunteer. They will not volunteer if they are in the government's drug watch list)," he added.

PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino on Wednesday, October 17, wanted candidates in the 2019 midterm elections to undergo a surprise drug test in order to identify those involved in illegal drugs.

To date, the PDEA has placed 85 politicians on the government's socalled "narco-list." The alleged narco-politicians include vice mayors, mayors, vice governors, governors, and congressmen.

The Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), meanwhile, prodded aspiring candidates to submit a mandatory drug testing, once they get elected to office.

The DDB's Regulation 13, series of 2018, provides for the establishment and institutionalization of drug-free workplace policies in all government offices, including the conduct of authorized drug testing for elective local officials and appointive public officers.

The board regulation covers all appointive public officers in all offices, including all constitutional bodies, departments, bureaus, and agencies of the national government, government-owned and controlled corporations, state and local universities and colleges, and elective local officials of local government units.

Any personnel tested positive for use of dangerous drugs will be charged with grave misconduct and may be dismissed from public service at first offense.

Board Regulation 13, which was signed on August 30 and took effect on October 6, supplements an existing regulation on a one-strike policy against public officials and employees yielding positive illegal drug results, to ensure that that government remains drug-free. (Ruth Abbey Gita/SunStar Philippines)