DETAINED Senator Leila De Lima has urged the government to conduct mandatory surprise drug testings for detainees and jail personnel following the resurgence of drug trading at the national penitentiary.
On the Senate bill she filed Monday, she said mandatory and surprise drug tests should be conducted more than once a year to all detainees and jail officers in detention facilities being run by the Bureau of Jail and Management Penology (BJMP), Bureau of Corrections (Bucor), Philippine National Police, and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Those inmates who would test positive for drug use should be required to undergo a Drug Dependency Examination and be transferred to a rehabilitation facility specifically designed for detainees, said De Lima.
The proposed measure said that the result of the drug test should also affect any petition of a prisoner for pardon or parole.
Government employees who would test positive for drug use under the proposed measure will also undergo a Drug Dependency Examination "without prejudice to being subject to administrative and criminal sanctions."
"With this measure, it is envisioned that our detention facilities and correctional institutions shall finally be rid of the scourge of illegal drugs," De Lima said.
De Lima, now detained at the PNP Custodial Center for her alleged participation in the proliferation of drug trading at the state penitentiary, claimed that during her stint as justice secretary, 679 raids were conducted at the NBP confiscating a total of 38,832 contrabands.
She was eventually accused by former Bucor officials and convicts of coddling big time drugs lords and receiving monthly payola from high-profile inmates for her senatorial bid.
Citing the admission of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II that there has been resurgence of the drug trade in Bilibid, De Lima said the current measures being undertaken by the present administration are not enough to rid the country of drugs.
"It appears that in spite of the early pronouncements of the DOJ secretary and the PNP chief, the current measures being implemented are still ineffective in eradicating the drug problems in our penitentiary system," De Lima said.
Aguirre at a press conference last week said drug trading is back in Bilibid due to alleged corrupt elite Special Action Force (SAF) who are now involved in the drug trading. (SunStar Philippines)