Senator Robin Padilla has filed Senate Bill No. 1200, or the Drug-Free Government Act, which mandates annual drug testing for all elected and appointed government officials.
Under the proposal, officials will first undergo a hair follicle drug test to determine drug use and type of substance, followed by a confirmatory urine test.
The measure covers all public officials, including those in government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), whether based locally or abroad. Any official testing positive for illegal drugs will face administrative action, which could lead to suspension or termination, subject to existing laws.
Padilla’s bill also seeks to allow voluntary random hair follicle drug testing for electoral candidates within 90 days before election day.
He explained that the measure is an integrity safeguard: “Kung ang taumbayan ay inaasahang malinis sa bawal na gamot, dapat magsimula ito sa mga lingkod-bayan mismo… Ang pamumuno ay dapat walang bahid at handang sumailalim sa pamantayan ng katapatan at pananagutan.”
The filing of the bill comes in the wake of recent allegations involving Padilla’s political affairs officer, actress Nadia Montenegro, who denied claims of marijuana use inside the Senate but has since resigned for personal and family reasons.
