Presidential aspirant Senator Panfilo M. Lacson and vice presidential aspirant Senate President Vicente C.Sotto III were tested drug free.
A statement of the Partido Reporma stated that this was the findings of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Diliman (Quezon City) office this afternoon, about four hours after Lacson and Sotto voluntarily submitted themselves for a drug testing to show to electorates in the May 2022 that they are clean.
The pair underwent a multi-drug test procedure, which was capable of detecting all kinds of illegal substances in a person’s system.
tt was the presidential aspirant himself who even suggested making the test at random to ensure authentic results.
The pair went to an unscheduled screening of their urine samples at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) office in Diliman, Quezon City at around 1:00 PM. Lacson said their decision to undergo a random drug test is their “way of walking the talk.”
“Kasi maraming challenges, wala nang maraming salita, pumunta na lang kami rito... (Because there were a lot of challenges, no more words necessary, we just came here today)” Lacson told reporters who caught him and Sotto for a brief interview at the PDEA lobby after they took the test.
According to Lacson, it was Sotto who initiated that they both take the drug test on Monday. The Senate President confirmed it and explained that it was due to the many challenges they were hearing from so many people over the weekend.
“Kaninang umaga, tinawagan ko si Senator Lacson, sabi ko pasok tayo sa Senate ngayon, bakit hindi tayo magpa-drug test na? (I called up Senator Lacson this morning and told him, since we're going to the Senate today, why don't we take the drug test now?),” Sotto said.
Sotto reiterated that they had been submitting themselves to voluntary drug screenings even during previous election seasons out of their own volition, especially him, since he was the principal author of the 2002 Dangerous Drugs Act.
The Senate President explained that he included a provision for every individual seeking a public office, whether for a national or local position, to submit themselves to a random drug test procedure as well but that provision was nixed by the Supreme Court.
Lacson said he and Sotto went through the entire multi-drug test procedure like ordinary individuals going through a comprehensive pre-employment physical assessment. He even mentioned that the doctor monitored them closely before taking their urine samples.
“Very tedious saka metikuloso. Hanggang sa pagwiwi namin, nakabantay ‘yung doktor sa amin, ayaw ipasara ‘yung pintuan (It was a very tedious and meticulous . Even when we were peeing, the doctor was on guard, insisted that the door was not shut),” Lacson said.
Incidentally, both Lacson and Sotto became the first political tandem to accept a public challenge of subjecting themselves to a random drug test, as part of their ongoing application process to become the next president and vice president of the country respectively.
“I think it is very important that a leader is not an illegal drug user... Paano ka magiging matinong lider kung gumagamit ka at gumagawa ka ng iligal? Palagay ko hindi tamang maging lider ng bansa kung ganoon. (How can you be a sober leader if you are using and doing something illegal? I don’t think you can lead a country if you’re like that),” Sotto said.
To recall, the veteran lawmakers immediately said ‘yes’ when they were asked by journalists if they would be willing to undergo a voluntary drug test during their “Online Kumustahan” gathering in Mexico, Pampanga last October 29, 2021.
“Sa buong buhay ko, hindi pa ako nakatikim ng droga kaya call kaagad ako doon sa panawagan na magpa-drug test (I never took illegal drugs all my life, so I immediately accept the call to undertake a drug test),” Lacson said.
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