DepEd assures confidentiality in random drug test order

DepED Secretary Leonor Briones INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Briones on Tuesday assured lawmakers that the department’s order in the conduct of random drug testing in public and private schools would not be used to file cases against minors.

During the House of Representatives’ committee deliberations on the DepEd’s proposed 2018 budget of P612.117 billion, Briones said the DepEd’s Department Order No. 40 that outlines the guidelines on the conduct of random drug testing is not connected with the brutal police anti-illegal drugs operation that has killed thousands of lives, including minors who were allegedly used as drug couriers.

Act Teachers Rep. France Castro has expressed alarm over the department’s order in view of the killing of Grade 12 student Kian delos Santos, an alleged drug courier who police alleged resisted arrest though a CCTV footage supposedly showed him being manhandled by plainclothesmen from the Caloocan police before he was shot dead.

READ: Kian autopsy points to ‘intentional killing’

Briones assured that the samples of the random drug test would not be used to file cases against minors, adding that the DepEd’s purpose is to determine the prevalence of the drug situation in the schools.

“Ang purpose natin is to find out the prevalence of this phenomenon and do something about it. Kami sa DepEd, we are responsible for the learners. Wala itong koneksiyon, wala itong relasyon sa Tokhang,” Briones said.

Briones said the department order would ensure confidentiality so as to prevent the use of the random drug test results in the filing of cases against minors involved in drug use.

“We are really imposing confidentiality on this, especially the use of sampling method. No record will be used as a case against any child,” Briones said.

Briones also assured lawmakers that the drug prevalence in schools is a “health matter for us,” adding that the department has partnered with the Department of Health on the conduct of random drug tests.

Militant lawmakers earlier grilled Commission on Higher Education chairperson Patricia Licuanan on CHEd’s memorandum order on a mandatory drug test policy for application to higher educational institutions, a memorandum order she assured would not be prone to abuse.

READ: ‘Blood would be on your hands,’ Tinio warns CHEd over drug test memo