FILE PHOTO: Vice President Leni Robredo on January 6, 2020.INQUIRER/NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — For incumbent Vice President Leni Robredo, who is vying for the presidency in the 2022 elections, drug testing for presidential aspirants should be random and unannounced so that authentic results could be obtained.
Robredo, who expressed readiness to undergo a drug test, said it would be self-serving for a candidate to submit to a drug test on a date and time preferable to the aspirant.
“Ako, anytime naman pero sa akin kasi—ako, para nga sa akin, dapat sana iyong pagpapa-drug test random, unannounced. Unannounced kasi alam naman natin na mas maigi na random, mas maigi na unannounced para nakukuha mo kung ano talaga iyong tunay na sitwasyon,” she said in an ambush interview at th sidelines of the Office of the Vice President’s rollout of its Vaccine Express project in Malolos City in Bulacan on Wednesday.
(For me, I can do that anytime, but I think a drug test should be random, unannounced. Unannounced because we know that it is better so the real situation would be acquired.).
“So parang self-serving kasi kung magsa-submit ako, ‘di ba. Magsa-submit ako for a drug test. Pero anytime na may lumapit sa akin na mag-request na mag-undergo ako, ako go ako anytime,” she added.
(So it seems self-serving if I would submit myself for a drug test. But anytime somebody asks me or requests that I undergo drug testing, I would go anytime.)
Drug testing among presidential aspirants appeared to have become imperative following President Rodrigo Duterte’s allegations that a presidential bet in the upcoming elections is into cocaine.
READ: Duterte claims a presidential aspirant does cocaine
First to undergo drug tests were Senator Panfilo Lacson and Senate President Vicente Sotto III, who are running for president and vice president, respectively. The tandem went to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to have the test, which found both to be negative for any illegal substance.
READ: Lacson, Sotto test negative for cocaine, other drugs
READ: Lacson ‘1,000% sure’ Duterte wasn’t referring to him about aspirant using cocaine
On Tuesday, the camp of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. released to the media photos that include the result of his drug test, specifically for cocaine, that was supposedly done in a private hospital. The son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos said he was negative for cocaine, as shown in his drug test result.
READ: Marcos says he tested negative in cocaine test, insists he wasn’t being alluded to by Duterte
There were speculations that Duterte’s allegations point to Marcos Jr. But the Marcos scion and his camp just brushed aside the President’s claims, saying they did not feel being alluded to by Duterte.
Another presidential aspirant, current Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, has also expressed intent to have himself tested for drugs by the PDEA.
READ: After Duterte revelation, Moreno wants all presidential aspirants to undergo drug test
Robredo was then asked where she thinks candidates should undergo drug tests, to which she replied: “Ako, kahit saan naman na titiwalaan ng publiko okay naman iyon. Kasi it doesn’t matter naman kung public or private basta may tiwala tayo doon sa legitimacy at saka sa accuracy ng test,” she explained.
(For me, anywhere as long as it is trusted by the public. It does not matter if public or private as long as we trust the facility’s legitimacy and accuracy of the test.)
Earlier, Robredo said that if information that a presidential aspirant is a drug user is at the president’s hands, corresponding cases must be filed.
READ: If there is evidence that a presidential bets is a drug user, it must be revealed