Party-list lawmaker backs random drug testing

Monday, November 22, 2010

AN WARAY Party-list Representative Florencio Gabriel Noel supported the plan to conduct voluntary random drug testing among employees of the House of Representatives.

Noel said he would allow himself, including his fellow representative of An Waray, Neil Benedict Montejo, to be subjected in the conduct of the random drug testing once they are asked to do so.

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Noel's statement was in support to the plan of encouraging officials in the House to undergo drug examination to set as good example in the campaign of the government against illegal drugs.

The conduct of random drug testing was proposed by most members of the House majority where its proposal was included in the amendment House rules, Ilocos Norte Representative Rodolfo Fariñas said.

The proposal was copied from the proposal of the United States Congress, where random drug testing among representatives and employees was regularly conducted.

The proposal would provide the Speaker of the House the authority to conduct consultation with the minority floor leader in conducting random drug testing.

"I am certainly supporting this move to conduct random drug testing among public officials," said Noel. "There is no way that we in the public service should oppose this because this is only a random drug testing and a 'voluntary' in nature and this does not violate the right of an individual, there is no human rights violation on it."

Noel added that prior to the said proposal, some lawmakers had already undergone the voluntary drug testing that was headed by the House committee on dangerous drugs and the committee on dangerous drugs.

The lawmakers include Fariñas of Ilocos Norte, Iligan City Representative Vicente Belmonte Jr., Quezon City Representative Winston Castello, Cavite Representative Elpidio Barzaga Jr., Tarlac Representative Susan Yap, Pampanga Representative Carmelo Lazatin, Albay Representative Al Francis Bichara, Negros Oriental Representative George Arnaiz, Pangasinan Representative Leopoldo Bataoil, Tarlac Representative Jeci Lapus, Northern Samar Representative Emil Ong, Marikina Representative Romero Federico Quimbo, Kabataan party-list Representative Raymond Palatino, PBA party-list Representative Mark Sambar, Senior Citizens party-list Representative David Kho, Lanao del Norte Representative Fatima Aliah Dimaporo, Zambales Representative Ma. Milagros Magsaysay, and Manila Representative Trisha Bonoan-David. (Leyte Samar Daily Express)