Vice President Sara Duterte
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte is willing to be the first to take a hair follicle drug test in response to some requests for such an action.
Duterte’s pronouncement stemmed from a challenge made by former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque.
Roque had urged the vice president and her brothers, Davao Rep. Paolo Duterte and Davao City Mayor Baste Duterte, to “lead by example” in taking the drug test.
“Yes,” she said in a chance interview in Davao City on Thursday when asked if she is willing to accept Roque’s dare.
However, Duterte stressed that a “third party” should be involved in the testing to ensure the results’ validity.
“Nababasa ko na ‘yung panawagan ng mga tao. Aayusin na lang natin kung kailan ‘yon, kasi dapat siguro doon, merong unang una, third party na kasama doon sa testing, and siguro, hindi lang isa ang laboratory para sure tayo na maba-validate ‘yung results,” Duterte said.
(I’ve already read the appeal of the people. We’ll just finalize when it’ll be conducted, because maybe there should be a third party involved in the testing, and maybe not just one laboratory so we can make sure that the result is validated.)
“So ‘yung ganyang detalye, gusto kong ma-plantsa ng lahat ng nananawagan. Gawin natin ‘yung drug test,” she further added.
(So that’s the detail I want to be ironed out by all those who are calling. Let’s do the drug test.)
Duterte, in the same interview, also expressed support for a bill filed by Davao Rep. Duterte which seeks to require drug tests for all government officials every six months.
READ: Paolo Duterte wants periodic drug tests for all government officials
“Of course, unang una, dapat talaga mapanigurado natin lahat na nasa tamang pag-iisip ‘yung ating public officials, kasama na ako doon,” she said.
(Of course, first of all, we must make sure that our public officials are in the right mindset, myself included.)
READ: Bongbong Marcos tested ‘negative’ for cocaine in 2021 – drug analyst
The hair follicle drug test is the exact same method critics — including Roque — have been urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to do amid several allegations that he uses illegal drugs.
But Marcos has repeatedly denied the accusations.