Aksyon Demokratiko presidential aspirant Isko Moreno Domagoso and vice presidential bet Willie Ong submit urine samples as they undergo voluntary drug testing at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency office in Quezon City. Handout
MANILA - Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso and runningmate Willie Ong on Thursday tested negative for illegal drugs after the tandem underwent a voluntary drug test at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency's (PDEA) office in Quezon City.
Tests showed that shabu, cocaine, marijuana and other illegal substance were not found in the urine samples collected from Domagoso and Ong.
"Ito rin ay isang maliit naming kaparaanan ni Doc Willie na sinusuportahan ang war on drugs ng ating Pangulong [Rodrido] Duterte," the Manila Mayor told reporters after the test result was released.
"The people of our country deserve to know. They need to know because isa sa mga sumisira sa ating lipunan ay ang droga (one of the things that destroy our society is illegal drugs)," he said.
Domagoso said they chose to take the drug test at the PDEA to acknowledge that it is the "right, proper, effective agency fighting against drugs."
"Kung nilalabanan natin ang droga at ang pangunahing ahensyang lumalaban sa droga ay ang PDEA, then we should continue to recognize the agency as the proper forum or agency to submit ourselves for drug testing," he said.
(If we are fighting illegal drugs and the primary agency combatting illegal drugs is PDEA, then we should continue to recognize the agency as the proper forum or agency to submit ourselves for drug testing.)
"Kung talagang wala kang kinukubli, you go to PDEA."
'DOUBLE STANDARD'
The Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer took a swipe against presidential aspirants who underwent drug testing in private hospitals, saying this seems to be a "double standard" with ordinary Filipinos at the losing end.
"Bakit kapag ordinaryong tao nirerequire natin i-test kapag sila suspected… PDEA nagtetest. Bakit kapag kandidato kang presidente, hindi na puwede sa PDEA?" he said.
(We require ordinary people who are suspected of using illegal drugs to undergo tests conducted by the PDEA. But why is a presidential candidate not required to do the test in PDEA?)
"Parang double standard tayo."
(We seem to have a double standard.)
Domagoso is the third presidential aspirant to take the test, after President Rodrigo Duterte claimed that one of the presidential contenders in the upcoming 2022 national elections has been using cocaine.
Partido Reporma standard bearer Sen. Panfilo Lacson and his runningmate Senate President Vicente Sotto III were the first national candidates to undergo voluntary drug testing earlier this week.
Both yielded negative results for shabu, cocaine, and other illegal substances, according to their test results from the PDEA.
Former Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos also presented a negative drug test result from a private hospital.
His vice presidential bet Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte- Carpio tested negative for multiple illegal substance. Her drug test was done in a private clinic.
Despite saying that he was a "naive" drug user in his youth, PROMDI party standard bearer Sen. Manny Pacquiao released a document showing he tested negative for cocaine, shabu and fentanyl use.
Vice President Leni Robredo, Sen. Christopher "Bong" Go and labor leader Leody De Guzman - who are all vying for the presidency - earlier said they were also willing to undergo voluntary drug testing.
Presidential aspirants have urged Duterte to file charges against the alleged cocaine user instead of sowing gossip during his public speeches.
The Philippine National Police has started to look into Duterte's claim.