Senator Robin Padilla voluntarily submits to a drug test at the PDEA Headquarters in Quezon City. ABS-CBN News
MANILA - Senator Robin Padilla tested negative for illegal drugs Wednesday, after voluntarily submitting himself to a drug test at the PDEA headquarters in Quezon City.
Padilla, a former actor, said he did the test in part as an answer to Rep. Ace Barbers' proposal for movie workers to undergo drug testing and to show support for the war on illegal drugs.
"Napakahalaga po nitong war on drugs. Ito po ay suporta ko kay dating Pangulong Duterte at ngayong Pangulo na si BBM," he said.
The neophyte senator also challenged ordinary citizens, actors and politicians to submit themselves to voluntary drug testing to assure authorities of their compliance.
"Pwede din naman voluntary, pati government officials. Parang wala nang haka-haka, tanggalin na natin ang haka-haka at wag nang dagdagan ang trabaho ng pulis at PDEA para mahabol nila yung talagang mga drug pushers," he said.
This was backed by Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, a former Philippine National Police chief who led the country's war on drugs during the Duterte administration.
"Nothing is preventing the state from performing its mandate to make sure na drug-free ang ating bansa. Trabaho ng estado yan. Pero tama din yung idea na hayaan ang industriya to police their own ranks," he said, adding that TV stations could do random drug tests of their own talents.
(Nothing is preventing the state from performing its mandate to make sure that our country is drug-free. That is the job of the state. But the industry should also be allowed to police its own ranks.)
"Unahin natin yung sector ng mga pulitiko. Kaming mga pulitiko dapat mandatory bago mag file, dapat bago tanggapin ng Comelec yung certificate of candidacy kasama na dun yung drug test para sigurado tayo na kung sinoman yung uupo na pulitiko, sigurado tayo na hindi siya gumagamit ng ipinagbabawal na droga."
(Politicians should go first. Politicians like us should undergo mandatory drug tests before the Comelec accepts our certificate of candidacy so that we can be sure that no matter who is elected, no one is using illegal drugs.)
with a report by Raffy Santos, ABS-CBN News