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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Wala naman tinuturo': Drug test bill not directed at President Marcos - Padilla camp

'Wala naman tinuturo': Drug test bill not directed at President Marcos - Padilla camp

Published Aug 22, 2025 03:22 pm

At A Glance

  • Senator Robinhood Padilla's chief-of-staff stated that his bill mandating annual drug tests for all government officials, including the President, is a system-wide reform not directed at President Marcos, while also pushing for medical cannabis legalization despite recent controversies.
Senator Robinhood Padilla's bill requiring all elected and appointed officials of public offices, including the President, to undergo an annual mandatory drug testing, is not directed at President Marcos.
Senator Robinhood
Senator Robinhood "Robin" Padilla (left), Manila 2nd district Rep. Rolando Valeriano (Facebook, MANILA BULLETIN)
This was according to lawyer Rudolf Philip Jurado, Padilla's chief-of-staff, who said that in filing Senate Bill 1200, Padilla just wants to institutionalize a broader, system-wide reform anchored on the public office being a public trust.
This in response to Manila 2nd district Rep. Rolando Valeriano, who said that instead of pointing fingers, Padilla should take the lead in taking the drug test since it was his staff member who was embroiled in marijuana use allegations in the Senate.
"Wala naman pong tinuturong iba si Senator Padilla (Senator Padilla was not when he filed Senate Bill No. 1200, in fact, in the three years since he became Senator, he has never made personal remarks against the President with regard to the issue on illegal drug use," Jurado said in a statement.
"He has never resorted to maligning the President on other controversies just to forward a political agenda, so this measure was never directed towards the President nor any particular official," he added.
Alongside this measure, Jurado said that the Senator is also pushing for the medicalization of cannabis for legitimate health purposes.
He said that this "has been a product of years of research and hard work grounded in compassion and science in the last Congress, and it is disappointing that even this proposal has been cast in a negative light due to an issue that has been sensationalized in a classic case of trial by publicity."
"We hope that we can just allow these measures to go through the legislative process so that the full intentions of the two proposals can be clearly presented—instilling trust in the government and its officials, and the healing of those in need," he added.
Padilla's drug test bill includes all elected and appointed officials of the government, government instrumentalities, or government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), whether domestic or overseas, including the President.
Under it, any official found positive for use of dangerous drugs shall be dealt with administratively which shall be a ground for suspension or termination from office, subject to certain pertinent laws.
It also states that candidates for electoral posts are not precluded from undergoing a voluntary hair follicle drug test within 90 days prior to the election day.

Related Tags

Robin Padilla Drug test Drug testing President Marcos
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