Senators question PDEA plan for drug testing in schools

By Camille A. Aguinaldo
SENATORS on Friday questioned the plan of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to conduct mandatory drug testing for teachers and for students from Grade 4 and up, saying that ten-year-old Grade 4 students were too young to undergo such testing.
Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III, who once chaired the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), said he has asked PDEA to raise the grade level to at least Grade 6 students
“I think I was able to convince them to follow the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program…which focuses on Grade 6 and up,” Mr. Sotto told reporters in a phone message.
Instead of an all-out mandatory testing, Mr. Sotto said PDEA may consider a combination of random and mandatory testing.
“Generally random but mandatory if they believe the school is reportedly notorious for illegal drugs. Guidelines have to be drawn out so as not to violate any laws or rights,” he said.
For their part, Senators Aquilino L. Pimentel III and Joseph Victor G. Ejercito said the plan was expensive, given the number of elementary students in the country.
“That’s a huge expense, hence I’m interested to know who came up with such a ‘brilliant’ idea. It was made mandatory so there would really be a huge expense,” Mr. Pimentel told reporters via phone message in a mix of Filipino and English.
“Another consideration will be the cost as it is quite expensive to have a drug test. Just imagine how many billions (of pesos are) needed if kids from Grade 4 onwards are to have mandatory drug testing,” Mr. Ejercito said in a phone message to reporters.
Mr. Pimentel also called the plan “pointless,” saying the person who tested positive cannot be forced to supply essential information related to drug use.
“That is pointless because what is the use of the test result? If positive, then what? And how many false or wrong positives and even negatives will our system produce?” he said.
“Assume there is a positive test result. Start drafting the information or even the complaint which starts the preliminary investigation. What will you put there? When did he take the drug? Where? What kind of drug? What quantity? We cannot force the person concerned to supply all of these essential information,” the senator added.
PDEA chief Aaron Aquino said mandatory drug testing was meant for students to get necessary intervention while they were still young.
Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002 only provides random drug testing for students in the secondary and tertiary level.