The hands of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) are tied as the confidentiality law restricts the agency from making public the drug test results of the political bets in the local or national elections.
In a telephone interview on Thursday, Nov. 25, PDEA spokesperson Derrick Arnold Carreon was apologetic of remaining mum when repeatedly pressed for the drug test results of the political aspirants who were tested by the agency or any state-run laboratories.
When quizzed for a more expounded explanation, Carreon pointed out that it is “upon the judgment of the political candidates’’ if they wish to divulge their drug test results or not.
“Hindi po pwede i-reveal (Drug test results) ng PDEA Laboratory Service ang resulta dahil confidential po ito (The PDEA Laboratory Service cannot reveal the results since they are confidential),’’ Carreon said.
Stating further, Carreon noted that it violates PDEA’s procedures under ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System reiterating that only the candidates or the requesting parties may make their drug test results pronouncements “if they wish to do so and not PDEA.’’
The PDEA spokesperson also begged off from identifying the political aspirants who underwent drug tests saying that it is also covered by its procedural restrictions.
In a GMA News report, presidential aspirant and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and his running mate Dr. Willie Ong took their drug tests on Thursday morning (Nov.25) at the PDEA national headquarters in Quezon City.
Moreno’s and Ong’s drug tests yielded negative results for cocaine, shabu and other illegal substances based on the PDEA Laboratory Service certification.
“This is one way of submitting ourselves to the proper agencies of government and kami naman, ito rin ay isang maliit naming kaparaanan ni Doc Willie (Willie Ong) na sinusuportahan ang War on Drugs ng ating Pangulong Duterte being a candidate (on our part this is our little way with Doc Willie to show support on President Duterte’s war on drugs),’’ Moreno said.
Moreno added that the entire Aksyon Demokratiko party will undergo voluntary drug tests vowing to continue the Duterte administration’s massive drive against illegal drugs with the focus on going after drug lords and syndicates. (Chito A. Chavez)