Zubiri undergoes drug-testing

SHOWING he could “walk the talk,” returning Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri on Wednesday underwent drug-testing at the Senate as he called on other civil servants to do the same in support of the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign.

“To all government employees & officials, I extend this challenge. Apparently, R. A. 9165 (the Dangerous Drugs Act) which ordered government offices to implement mandatory random testing for drug use is inherently weak,” Zubiri said.

“So, I filed Senate Resolution No. 8 to direct the campaign towards actually executing mandatory drug-testing in government,” he said in a statement.

Zubiri’s resolution expresses “the sense of the Senate to mandate government offices to strictly observe and implement the law on mandatory random drug testing in support of the drug-free workplace program of the government.”

The senator noted that several government officials were arrested last year for drug use.

“I’m alarmed that 197 government people, of which 63 were elected, used drugs and are actually facing charges as reported for last year by govt. We can expect these numbers to rise with  President Duterte aiming for a drug-free country,” said Zubiri, a staunch supporter of the new President’s strict campaign against crime and drugs.

He said drug testing must be a requirement for government workers in all levels.

“If we require applicants for low positions to submit a negative-for-drugs certificate, we should require no less of people occupying higher positions. If submitting a negative result is the only positive thing you do today, that will be great,” he said.

Zubiri said the state must support public drug-testing centers through better equipment and more personnel.  This would help weed out fly-by-night centers and ensure that drug certifications are credible, he added.

“Generally, government hospitals are known to practice the best testing protocol and have the best facilities. It’s an open secret that several privately-run drug-testing centers are purposely in only for the money & their results are questionable. Or, their people are prone to accept bribes to give fake results,” the lawmaker said.