Instead of compelling others like the president to undergo mandatory drug tests, Senator Robinhood "Robin" Padilla should just assume the lead role in taking on such procedures.

Manila 2nd district Rep. Rolando Valeriano gave this comment in relation to Padilla's Senate bill seeking annual drug tests for the President and other government officials

The proposal was filed just days after one of Padilla’s own staff members was embroiled in a marijuana controversy inside the Senate.

"Sa totoo lang, yun talaga ang issue dun. Imaginin mo naman yung staff mo, nagma-marijuana sa mismong building ng Senate. So nakakahiya talaga yun (That's really the issue, to be honest. Imagine having your own staff get caught using marijuana within the Senate building itself. So it's really embarrassing.)

Referring to the former action movie star's bill, Valeriano said: "Parang out of, ano yung ano niya, yung hamon niya (It’s like his dare is out of order)."

"Aking doon, tutal sa inyo naman nagkahulian yan, mauna na rin siya muna sigurong magpa-drug test di ba? Bakit ka naman magtuturo na...kasi syempre, ang suspect natin doon is staff niya talaga yung, kung totoo man yun, staff niya yung na-drugs at the time, yung humihithit ng marijuana," reckoned the quad-committee (quad--comm) version 2.0 co-chairman.

(For me, since it's from your camp that somebody got busted, you should be talking the drug test first right? Why point fingers...of course our suspect there is really his staff, if it's true, the one smoking a joint was his staff.)

"So it follows as head nung office, siya yun (Padilla), mag-drug test din siya. Pero, wag parang mag-tuturo kakagad ng iba...Parang di tama (So it follows that as the head of office, that's him, he should undergo a drug test too. Just don't immediately point your finger to others...that doesn't seem right)," said Valeriano.

The Manila lawmaker said he saw the likes of Senator Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri fearlessly subject himself to a drug test.

"May nakita na akong ibang senador, nauna nang nagpa-drug test, walang katakot-takot eh. At hindi naman sila nagtuturo, na bakit hindi magpa-drug test yung pangulo o yung mga congressman," he said.

(I saw other senators fearlessly take on the drug test. And they didn’t point fingers by saying that the president or congressmen should also take the drug test.)

Asked if he was personally willing to take such tests, Valeriano said he had no problem with it.

Padilla is a member of the anti-Marcos administration "Duterte bloc" in the Senate.