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Bill seeks random drug testing on House members, staff
A leading House member wants drug tests to be randomly conducted on all members of the House of Representatives, its officials and employees, to set an example in the government's campaign against illegal drugs. The proposal will be included as an amendment to the House rules, said Lower House deputy majority leader Rodolfo Fariñas who chairs the committee rewriting the rules of the 15th Congress. “Kailangang makita naman na progressive tayo and we are looking at the drug problem seriously. So kami, ang mga mambabatas, dapat mag-set ng example na kami ay mayroon ring drug testing," Fariñas said. (We need to show that we are progressive and we are looking at the drug problem seriously. So we, the lawmakers, should set the example by showing that we too have drug testing.) The Ilocos Norte representative said the amendment, if approved by the chamber, would authorize the Speaker, in consultation with the minority leader, to conduct the random drug testing. He said he copied the proposal from the US Congress. “Hindi ko naman noble idea ito. Nakita ko lamang sa Amerika. They are doing this in the US Congress. Kailangan siyempre, kung sa US Congress mayroon, dito pa," he said. (This isn’t my noble idea. I saw it being done in America. They are doing this in the US Congress. Of course, if the US Congress has it, all the more we must have it here too.) Fariñas will present the proposal to Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II next week. He also assured that Minority Leader Edcel Lagman would be consulted on the matter. If the rules committee rejects the proposal, he said he will still present it on the floor for the record. Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara, chairman of the House committee on higher education, called on the chamber leadership to support the Fariñas proposal, saying it is “very noble" and would help in the campaign against illegal drugs. On Wednesday, the House committee on dangerous drugs and the oversight committee on dangerous drugs conducted a voluntary drug testing among lawmakers. Apart from Fariñas, at least 18 other members of the House subjected themselves to the drug test, namely:
- Iligan City Rep. Vicente Belmonte Jr.;
- Quezon City Rep. Winston Castello;
- Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr.;
- Tarlac Rep. Susan Yap;
- Pampanga Rep. Carmelo Lazatin;
- Albay Rep. Al Francis Bichara;
- Negros Oriental Rep. George Arnaiz;
- Pangasinan Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil;
- Tarlac Rep. Jeci Lapus;
- Northern Samar Rep. Emil Ong;
- Marikina Rep. Romero Federico Quimbo;
- Kabataan partylist Rep. Raymond Palatino;
- PBA partylist Rep. Mark Sambar;
- Senior Citizens partylist Rep. David Kho;
- Lanao del Norte Rep. Fatima Aliah Dimaporo;
- Zambales Rep. Ma. Milagros Magsaysay; and
- Manila Rep. Trisha Bonoan-David.
