Repost: Senate Calls for Networks to Conduct Surprise Drug Test on Talents

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Source: www.news.mb.com.ph

Senators support the call for television networks to conduct drug testing among its artists and employees.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Friday said networks could take it upon themselves to police their own ranks.

A former actor and noon-time show host, Sotto said television networks, anyway, are aware who among their talents have links to the illegal drug trade.

“The networks can easily do that (drug testing) if they want to, because as a matter of fact, they know who among their talents are into drugs,” Sotto told reporters in a text message.

“The irony is that the bosses of these persons know who they (those involved) are and are not doing anything about it,” he added.

Sotto also expressed support for the proposed release of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s (PDA) celebrity narco-list but said that the inclusion of actors and other personalities should be validated.

He added that the term “celebrities” should not be limited to members of show business, but “also basketball players and other public figures.”

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, on the other hand, maintained his position against any release of names in the narco-list.

“Sa akin in the first place ‘di dapat gawin public unless nag-file ka na ng case. Kasi pag file ka na ng case, matter of public record so necessarily lalabas ang mga pangalan (To me, in the first place, it should not be made public unless you already have filed a case. Because if you did file a case, it would [be] a matter of public record and necessarily, names would come out),” Lacson told reporters in a press briefing.

He said the list remains an “intelligence information” and could be proven wrong unless it is backed by evidence. It would be unfair, he said, to make public the names only to be retracted later on.

“The best yardstick on whether or not the information on the involvement of any local government officials or actors, actresses, media in illegal drugs is validated, is evidence because these are factual,” he said in English and Filipino.

Sen. Sonny Angara also believed that television networks could help in the government’s efforts against illegal drugs “by conducting [drug] tests as well”.

For his part, Sen. Joel Villanueva said he is certain that television networks, like other employers, support the drive against drug abuse in the country.

“Employers usually subject their applicants to pre-employment medical tests which includes drug testing,” the chairman of the Senate labor committee said.

He, however, reminded that the objective of the drug test “still should be to rehabilitate individuals testing positive, and not just to shame them and deprive them of employment.”

PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino earlier said 31 celebrities aged 20s to 30s were included in the agency’s drugs watch list for supposedly using shabu, ecstasy, marijuana and even cocaine.

But since the PDEA list is different from those of other law enforcement agencies, Aquino said the figure may reach 100.