Regular drug tests for government officials

If talk is to be believed, the president, a former president, and a mayor are using drugs.

It was former president Rodrigo Duterte who threw the first accusation, claiming that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency told him President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. was on a drug watchlist.

Then President Marcos threw back the accusation at the former president accusing him of being addicted to fentanyl.

Now a former policeman came out to accuse members of the Duterte Family of not just being behind extrajudicial killings in Davao, but also of controlling the drug trade there.

Former Davao Senior Police Officer Arturo "Arthur" Lascañas also said Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte used drugs.

Of course, we know better than to believe outright talk. Talk is cheap. And those making the accusations have their own reasons for doing so, whether these are true or not.

Former president Duterte has a bone to pick with Marcos for all that has been taken away from his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte Carpio. President Marcos certainly wouldn’t want to be insulted. As for Lascañas, his timing is highly suspect, considering the presence of the International Criminal Court here. His reasons for wanting to bring down the Dutertes aren’t yet fully known.

With that said, just to put all issues and doubts to bed, perhaps we should have regular drug tests for government officials.

Private companies regularly screen their employees for drug use; some do it on a prearranged date, others as a surprise. Government offices do them too, although it would seem these tests stop at a certain level, rarely if ever including high officials, except for those who want to present themselves as good examples.

If those who do manual labor, those who drive public vehicles, those who entertain the transacting public are required to be free from drugs, why not those who are running the government itself? It would make much more sense.

Drug users who are in high places tend to do more damage than those who aren’t.