HOUSE minority leader Marcelino Libanan yesterday laughed off Sen. Robin Padilla’s bill which seeks to require all elected officials to undergo annual drug testing, including the president, saying this is a “gimmick” meant to divert public attention from his staff member’s alleged use of marijuana inside the Senate building.
“The timing speaks volumes. Instead of cleaning up his own backyard, somebody is trying to deflect attention by dragging the Office of the President into a spectacle. The presidency is not a stage for gimmicks or stunts,” Libanan said in a statement.
Padilla’s chief of staff. lawyer Philip Jurado, took exemption to Libanan’s statement, saying that proposed Senate Bill No. 1200 “is not a theatrics” as it is aimed as a “concrete preventive and accountability tool.”
“The intent of the measure is to ensure early detection and to foster a culture of responsibility. We must be sure that public servants, especially those in the high echelons of authority, must themselves possess the moral ascendancy to execute and implement laws,” Jurado said in a statement.
He added that the proposed measure is “far from being a gimmick” since it is “a practical step to protect health and safety, and public trust.”
Libanan rejected Padilla’s proposal to compel the country’s highest leader to undergo mandatory drug testing and urged lawmakers “to uphold the dignity of the Office of the President.” He said his opposition “is not about shielding any individual, but about safeguarding the institution, itself.”
“Whoever sits as president – past, present, or future – must be spared from the indignity of being forced to undergo a drug test. To subject the presidency to such procedures diminishes not just the occupant but the very office itself,” Libanan said.
In SBN 1200, Padilla said mandatory drug testing should be institutionalized and random drug testing of candidates should be undertaken within 90 days prior to election day.
Padilla said all elected officials and candidates must undergo drug testing to ensure that they are drug-free, citing the constitutional provision that “public office is a public trust.”
Padilla filed the bill amid reports tagging former actress Nadia Montenegro, who worked as the senator’s political officer, to the supposed use of marijuana inside the Senate premises, which allegedly happened on at least two occasions.
Montenegro has already resigned, but said her resignation should not be misconstrued as an admission of guilt.
Libanan reminded Padilla that the Constitution “already sets clear qualifications for the presidency, ensuring that only those with proven competence, judgment, and moral fitness can hold the post.”
“Our democratic institutions, particularly Congress, must preserve the dignity of the presidency regardless of who occupies it. Undermining that dignity weakens public trust and destabilizes the system we are sworn to protect,” he said.
Libanan warned against what he called the “trivializing” of the presidency, saying it could make the Philippines “a laughingstock before the international community.”
“Let us not waste time on distractions. We should be fixing the economy, lowering the cost of living, creating jobs, and protecting our communities from floods and disasters. These are the issues that truly demand leadership – not hollow theatrics,” he said.
DRUG TESTING
Sen. Loren Legarda has instructed all her staff members to undergo drug testing to demonstrate accountability and set the highest standards in public service.
Legarda, in a directive issued on Monday, said the drug testing will be conducted in coordination with authorized agencies, in full compliance with civil service and health regulations.
“The public deserves a Senate that sets an example. We act with concrete actions to uphold our role as a model of integrity and professionalism,” she said, adding that any findings will be handled with due process even as she assured that appropriate actions will be taken should any staff member test positive.
“By taking this step, we ensure that my office has zero tolerance for illegal drugs and is fully committed to good governance and accountability,” she added.
Legarda’s memorandum also outlined her office’s Workplace Policy on Prohibited Substances and Activities, which the senator said should be strictly observed by her staff members.
The policy prohibits within Legarda’s office and any property owned by the and within the Senate premises the use, possession, or distribution of illegal drugs or controlled substances, as well as consumption of alcoholic beverages, vaping or use of e-cigarettes, smoking of any kind, and any form of gambling.
“This policy will be strictly enforced to maintain a safe, healthy, and productive workplace environment and to uphold the highest standards of efficiency, integrity, and professionalism in public service,” Legarda said.
Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri and all of his staff members on Monday underwent voluntary drug testing after Minority leader Vicente Sotto III called for the conduct of mandatory random drug testing in the Senate to ensure a “drug-free” working space.
Senate President Francis Escudero has also said the leadership will conduct an annual mandatory drug testing of all officials and employees once the guidelines for the conduct of such is completed. – With Raymond Africa
