DAVAO CITY – Davao City first congressional district Rep. Paolo Duterte voluntarily submitted once again to a hair follicle drug test on Wednesday, Oct. 23, at High Precision Diagnostic Norkis Building in Mandaluyong City, in response to a challenge from a lady solon here.
REP. Paolo Duterte takes another drug test in response to Rep. Margarita Nograles' dare. (Screengrab from Office of Rep. Duterte video)
Rep. Duterte subjected himself to a hair follicle drug test after his opponent in the 2025 elections – Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) party-list Rep. Margarita Nograles – challenged him to take a new test here.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s eldest son tested negative for several types of illegal drug use in a hair follicle drug test conducted earlier this month in Quezon City.
The result of the test showed that Rep. Duterte is free from amphetamine, methamphetamines, cocaine, opiates and extended opiates, phencyclidine, THC metabolite, and benzodiazepines.
The hair follicle test was conducted after he pushed a measure in the House of Representatives that required all elected officials to undergo a drug test in August.
Rep. Nograles also took a hair follicle drug test in a laboratory in Davao City on Wednesday.
Vice President Sara Duterte urged Rep. Duterte and Rep. Nograles to take a drug test as a way to confirm if they are “unstable.”
Vice President Duterte explicitly wanted a hair follicle drug test done by an independent, third-party drug testing laboratory.
In a statement on Tuesday evening, Oct. 22, Rep. Duterte echoed his sister, Vice President Duterte.
“I challenge my opponent, who is allegedly part of the so-called ‘young goons’ – or was it ‘guns’ – in Congress, to also undergo a hair follicle test,” said Rep. Duterte, who is seeking a third and final term in the 2025 elections.
Rep. Duterte said this challenge is for the collective welfare and to ensure that those who serve the public are clean and free from any vices or illegal drugs. The lawmaker also highlighted that he has already undergone the test to assure the public.
“If required, I am willing to take a hair follicle test again – and as often as needed – to demonstrate that the public has no reason to doubt the integrity of their leaders,” Rep. Duterte said in a local dialect. He also released a video where he underwent a hair follicle test.