Sara backs drug tests measure if no rights is violated

DAVAO City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio on Monday said she will only support the proposed ordinance that would require business establishments in the city with more than 10 employees to subject their personnel for random drug test if the measure does not violate human rights.

Duterte-Carpio issued the statement after the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (Cadac), City Council, as well as other government and private agencies manifested the need to have a policy requiring all workers even in the private sector to be subjected to the random drug testing in a bid to address the city's problem with illegal drugs.

The Davao City Council approved on first reading last April the proposed ordinance, which is now pending at the committee of Councilor Bernard Al-ag, who chairs the Sanguniang Panlungsod committee on health.

"Kung naa silay mabuhat na balaod na dili violative sa human rights, then suportaan nato (If they can come up with a law that is not violative of human rights, then we will support it)," the mayor said.

Duterte-Carpio, however, said she is confident on the capacity of the council members to come up with the right measure of the City Council as some of them are good lawyers.

"I don't think they will enact an ordinance that will violate any law," she said.

Lawyer Elisio Braganza, action officer of Cadac, earlier said the enactment of an ordinance is vital in getting rid of illegal drugs traders in the city.

"Pag makabuhat na silag ordinansa, then ipatuman nato dayon (If they can pass the ordinance, we will immediately implement it)," Duterte-Carpio said.

Councilor Melchor Quitain, who initiated the passage of the measure, said the ordinance will not affect the influx of businessmen in Davao City.

"It is because everybody hates drugs. Everybody wants the proliferation of drugs in Davao City to stop," Quitain said.

Once passed, the ordinance will mandate all business establishments here to subject all their employees to mandatory drug testing before they could get their business permit renewed.