DAVAO CITY – Rep. Paolo Z. Duterte of the first district here has filed House Bill (HB) 10744 requiring elected and appointed public officials to undergo random drug testing through the hair follicle test every six months.
Duterte said it is imperative that public officials and government employees should be the very first to uphold such constitutional mandate by submitting themselves toward accountability measures that serve as a tool in addressing the fulfillment of the mandate.
The measure covers elected and appointed officials of public offices, including the President of the Republic of the Philippines.
The bill also encourages institutionalizing voluntary random drug testing of candidates for electoral posts within 90 days prior to Election Day, amending for the purpose Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
"Considering the initiatives towards the deterrence of drug use and abuse, exemptions or favors in the mandatory nature of random drug testing shall not extend to certain class privilege such as the elected and appointed officials, since it becomes imperative upon their own mandate that they shall lead the life of modesty and integrity," Duterte said in his explanatory note.
Duterte underscored that in the application of the equal protection of the law, mandatory random drug testing every six months shall become binding among elected and appointed officials and voluntary drug testing is encouraged to candidates of electoral posts, pursuant to what the bill foremost seeks.
Under HB 10744, it is the policy of the State to maintain peace and order, protect one’s life, liberty, and property, and promote the general welfare of the people.
The Constitution reiterates that the State shall maintain honesty and integrity in public service, highlighting the importance of accountability of public officers and employees, with high regard to the service equipped with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency, actions toward patriotism and justice, and lives with modesty.
Duterte said the bill, once enacted, makes it obligatory for public officials to hold accountability measures such as mandatory random drug testing inclined with the officials’ mandate of promoting the general welfare of the people, especially in terms of mitigating, if not totally eliminating, drug use and abuse in the community.
The proposed law states that authorized drug testing shall be done by any government forensic laboratories or by any of the drug testing laboratories accredited and monitored by the Department of Health (DOH) to safeguard the quality of results.
The DOH is tasked under the bill to take steps in setting the price of the drug test with DOH-accredited drug testing centers to further reduce the cost of such drug test.
Drug testing shall employ two methods: Hair follicle test that will determine the positive result as well as the type of the drug used and the confirmatory test which shall be done through urine drug test that will confirm a positive screening.
Drug test certificates issued by accredited drug testing centers shall be valid for one year from the date of issue and these may be used for other purposes.