SEN. Robin Padilla has filed a bill which seeks to require all elected officials, including the president, to undergo annual mandatory drug testing, and institutionalize random drug testing of candidates within 90 days prior to election day.
In filing Senate Bill No. 1200, 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.”
In the bill’s explanatory note, the former actor-turned-senator said that despite the existence of government issuances against the use of illegal drugs among government officials and employees, “there remain gaps in ensuring the effective and consistent enforcement of a drug-free policy across the bureaucracy.”
“Given their role as frontliners of public service, it is imperative that public officials and government employees themselves first exemplify accountability and adherence to constitutional principles. Subjecting them to integrity measures, including drug testing, is therefore a necessary tool to reinforce the government’s commitment to service founded on responsibility, integrity and loyalty to the people,” he said.
“Public officials, by virtue of their mandate, must not only be free from the influence of dangerous drugs but must also demonstrate leadership by example,” he added.
Padilla filed the bill amid reports tagging one of his staff members to the supposed use of marijuana inside the Senate premises, which allegedly happened on at least two occasions.
The staff, former actress Nadia Montenegro who worked as Padilla’s political officer, has already resigned.
Montenegro said her resignation should not be misconstrued as an admission of guilt, saying that she would rather “find peace as a private citizen” than stay in public service while being subjected to “unfounded, fabricated accusations.”
She relayed her resignation through a letter addressed to lawyer Rudolf Philip Jurado, Padilla’s chief of staff,. It was dated August 15 but received by the senator’s office only on Monday.
DRUG TESTING
Saying that he wants to lead by example, Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri and his 35 staff members yesterday voluntarily underwent drug testing to ensure a “drug-free” Senate.
Zubiri, in an interview after the drug testing, said the drug test was in coordination with the Senate Medical Bureau, which is an accredited drug test laboratory.
He said he and his staff members submitted urine samples so they can be tested for marijuana, shabu, ectasy, opium, and cocaine.
“We should lead by example. Many people have been saying that there are drug users in the Senate that’s why I told my staff members that we should be the first to undergo drug testing so that others may be encouraged to follow,” he said in Filipino.
Senate President Francis Escudero said the upper chamber will conduct mandatory random drug testing (MRDT) for all officials and employees of the Senate Proper and the Senate secretariat as soon guidelines for the MRDT is completed.
He made the statement in response to the request of minority leader Vicente Sotto III for an MRDT in the wake of the marijuana use reports.
“At present, we are waiting for the complete roster of Senate employees whose new appointments are still under process so that we can cover everyone. In the meantime, we shall furnish you and the other members of the Senate, as well as the Employees Union and other employees’ association, with a copy of the draft policy order on random drug testing at the soonest possible time for your information, reference, and suggestions,” Escudero said in a letter addressed to Sotto dated August 18, 2025.
Escudero said the Senate, on March 20, 2025, has already inked a Memorandum of Agreement with the East Avenue Medical Center to facilitate the testing for all Senate officials and employees but “given that a lot of employees from the Senate Proper will not be available because of the 2025 national and local elections, it was suggested to just resume the MRDT in the 20th Congress.”
On July 30, 2018, then Senate President Sotto issued Policy Order No. 2018-02, Series of 2018 which, among others, provided random drug testing for Senate Proper and Senate Secretariat officers and employees in the workplace which led to the random testing of 2,333 persons from July 2018 to February 2020.
The testing, however, was marred with controversy “given the filing of administrative and other cases in connection with the afore-stated Policy Order” as it allegedly impinged on the rights of some affected employees.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Sotto suspended the random drug testing on February and March 2020, and no drug testing was held until the end f his term in 2022 and during the 19th Congress.
“We are currently finalizing the new policy under MRDT in consultation with the Medical and Dental Bureau, the Senate Legal Counsel, the Human Resources Management service, and the Senate Committee on Mental Wellness. These offices are carefully considering the observations and concerns raised during the implementation of the 2018 MRDT policy,” Escudero also said.
