MANILA—A leader of the Catholic Church said Saturday he agrees with the proposal to conduct mandatory drug tests for elementary students.

This after the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) suggested mandatory drug testing among teachers and students as young as those in Grade 4.

• PDEA eyes drug test for elementary students, teachers

The proposal will help prevent children from being involved in illegal drugs, said San Jose Nueva Ecija Bishop Roberto Mallari, who also chairs the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education.

“Sa akin walang problema 'yan kasi nga nakikita natin 'yan kung gaano kalawak 'yung problema ng drugs kung paanong talagang inaabot nila lahat pati ang mga bata 'yung sinasabi nilang may mga candies pa na hinahaluan ng drugs," he told Radio Veritas.

"I think mahalaga ito para ma-prevent natin 'yung mga bata mismo ay maapektuhan nitong problemang ito ng drugs,” he added.

(For me there is no problem because we can see the gravity of the drug problem--how it reaches everyone including children. There are even candies laced with drugs. I think this is important to prevent children from being influenced by drugs.)

Mallari also appealed to parents and teachers to cooperate with the government in ensuring the safety of children.

“Para po sa mga magulang at mga teachers natin, I think mahalaga na we try to as much as possible we cooperate to the government kasi I suppose gusto din nila 'yung ikabubuti ng mga anak natin,” he said.

(For the parents and teachers, I think it is important that we cooperate with the government as much as possible because I suppose they only want what's best for our children.)

PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino earlier said his agency has already coordinated with the Dangerous Drugs Board and Department of Education over its proposal.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones, however, thumbed down the idea.

She explained that the Department of Education is very careful in implementing drug tests on young students, as it can affect their lives.

"We are very, very careful about this dahil (because) you can destroy a child's life," Briones said earlier this week.