PUWERSA ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) Partylist Representative lawyer Margarita “Migs” Nograles said that it is the prerogative of the other members of Congress whether they would undergo a hair follicle drug test. This, after Vice President Sara Duterte recently challenged other lawmakers to take a random drug test.
Nograles said in a media interview, on Wednesday afternoon, October 23, at Hi-Precision Diagnostics, Bajada, Davao City, that taking a drug test for lawmakers is not mandated but if they want to undergo it, they can do so to show that they are drug-free.
“It’s up to them, it's a voluntary thing, hindi naman ‘to [it is not] mandated, if they also want to do it to show that they are clean or for whatsoever reason then let’s see, ‘no?” she said.
She added that this is not for anything else; however, if this is what the public wants to see, then she encourages other lawmakers to be accountable and transparent. She said that she does not know if the other members of her team would undergo the test since she has not spoken to them yet.
She said that Congressman Cheeno Almario would be undergoing a drug test and the other Young Guns would be doing so as well.
She also said that if her brother, Karlo Nograles, were challenged to undergo one, he would be willing to do it.
Meanwhile, incumbent First District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte said in a media interview at Hi-Precision Diagnostics in Mandaluyong City that he believes not all congressmen would accept the vice president's challenge.
“Magpa-drug test nalang sila para magka-alaman na diba… lahat diba… total imposible naman na wala silang pera pang-drug test (They should undergo drug tests so that we would know, right? Everyone, right? Besides, it’s impossible for them not to afford the drug tests),” he said.
Cong. Duterte said that it is the duty of lawmakers to their constituents to undergo the drug test so that their constituents know their representatives are not using drugs.
Earlier, Cong. Duterte and Nograles underwent a hair follicle drug test on the same day but at different venues. Nograles challenged Duterte to join her in another drug test, following the circulation of pictures online of the latter undergoing a drug test. She stressed that this is for the sake of transparency and accountability to Dabawenyos.
Vice President Duterte issued a challenge to lawmakers after house members recommended that she take a psychiatric evaluation following her controversial statements during her latest press conference. RGP