MANILA – Despite doubts raised about its legality, the Arroyo administration is determined to implement the random but mandatory drug testing for all students nationwide, a Malacanang spokesman announced on Tuesday.
The spokesman said the test is to be conducted among students in country’s public and private schools following warnings regarding the alarming increase in the number of drug addicts, especially among the youth.
The spokesman said the “go-signal” was given after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and concerned officials, particularly those from the Department of Education and the Department of Health, finalized during a meeting in Malacanang the guidelines to be used in the testing.
Estimates are the government would spend the equivalent of about $250,000 to conduct the initial testing.
Initially, the spokesman said the test will cover students in the elementary and high schools as well as those studying in vocational educational institutions.
But eventually, it will also be conducted on students in the country’s colleges and universities after the Commission on Higher Education (Ched), which has jurisdiction over these schools, has finalized similar guidelines, according to the spokesman.
Education Secretary Jesli Lapus earlier said President Arroyo already issued a memorandum to school district officials that the department is targeting 108,790 elementary and high school students nationwide for the testing.
This means, Lapus said, that about 10 students per school will be subjected to the mandatory and random drug tests.
Besides, he said some private and international schools have been conducting on their own random drug testing for their students.
Last week, President Arroyo announced she would take direct command of the renewed campaign against the growing menace posed by the unabated trade in illegal drugs, especially to the youth,
At the same time, Lapus assured that no police personnel would be involved after some critics expressed fear that some unscrupulous lawmen would take advantage to extort money from the parents and students suspected of being drug addicts.
Critics, including the Commission on Human Rights, also warned that the drug testing would violate the rights of students, particularly their right against self-incrimination and right to individual privacy as guaranteed by the 1987 Constitution.
But Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita cited a Supreme Court (SC) ruling which upheld the legality of such tests in elementary and high schools as well as colleges and universities.
“A random drug testing for students is not only acceptable but necessary,” Ermita emphasized. “The safety of the people and the legitimate concerns of the government should be protected.”
Ermita added Malacanang is open to proposals that the mandatory drug testing be conducted also on public officials as he pointed out:
“That is good because if they have nothing to hide, then they (officials) should submit themselves to such test. Personally, I’m not averse to it.”
The private lawyer of President Arroyo, Romulo Macalintal, agreed as he cited a High Court decision handed down on November 3, 2007 which upheld the constitutionality of mandatory drug testing for students.
Macalintal noted that the high tribunal had ruled that such tests are justifiable due to the proliferation of illegal drugs in which the young, particularly students, usually end up as victims.
In the same decision, the SC also held as constitutional a provision in the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, which prescribes mandatory random drug testing for officers and employees in both public and private offices, Macalintal stressed.
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[...] Wednesday, the government announced it would proceed with the mandatory and random drug testing of students which will initially cover all the country’s public and private elementary and high [...]