DAVAO City First District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte has filed a bill that would require all elected and appointed public officials to undergo random drug testing using hair follicle analysis.
House Bill No. 6105 seeks to amend Section 36 of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. The measure would allow government forensic laboratories monitored by the Department of Health to conduct either hair follicle or urine tests — both administered at random.
Under the proposal, all officials in government agencies and government-owned and -controlled corporations, whether based in the Philippines or overseas, must comply with the random tests. Those who test positive would face administrative sanctions and could be suspended or removed from office under existing laws.
In his explanatory note, Duterte said the bill aims to strengthen the country’s anti-drug efforts by removing exemptions granted under a 2018 Dangerous Drugs Board regulation. He underscored that public officials, as “holders of public trust,” must show accountability and integrity, especially as authorities seized ₱87.19 billion worth of illegal drugs from 2022 to early 2025.
Duterte added that exempting officials from drug testing violates the equal protection clause, noting that the Supreme Court has already upheld mandatory drug tests for students and government employees.
“Such inconsistencies do not extend to elected and appointed public officials,” he said, arguing that drug testing should apply to them as well.
He said expanding the testing methods and applying them uniformly would help close the gap between reported and unreported drug use and strengthen public trust.
Renewed call for drug testing
Duterte renewed his call for mandatory drug testing after Senator Imee Marcos alleged on Nov. 17 that her brother, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., is a drug user.
The senator claimed Iglesia Ni Cristo’s “Rally for Transparency” at the Quirino Grandstand, saying she had long known about her brother’s alleged drug use and had even been among those who would “clean up” after his parties.
Duterte said he has pushed for hair follicle testing for government officials for years, emphasizing that the proposal is “not new and not personal” but meant to promote transparency and protect the integrity of public service. He challenged the President to take the test, saying that if he had nothing to hide, he should not refuse it.
President Marcos won’t take a drug test
Malacañang said President Marcos will not take the drug test despite the senator’s challenge. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro insisted Marcos is clean and said he will not respond to what she called attempts at provocation.
She said calls for the President to undergo testing come from “destabilizers and obstructionists” who “have nothing better to do than issue orders to the President.”
“Again and again, we will keep repeating it — we will not be swayed by what the loud voices are saying. This has long been resolved,” Castro said. RGP