So rational decisions do exist.
During a press briefing in Cagayan de Oro yesterday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the administration is against the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s (PDEA) plan to hold mandatory drug testing for young students.
Siding with Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Briones’ thoughts on the issue, Roque said: “[T]he Dangerous Drug Act limits possible drug testing to high school and not to grade school students.”
The Education secretary earlier spoke out against the PDEA’s idea.
“It has to be on the high school level, not those in Grade 4. President Duterte’s instructions involving Grade 4 students is to enhance the curriculum on drugs,” she told ABS-CBN News in Filipino.
The Philippines’ Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002 only allows random drug testing on high school and college students.
During the press briefing, Roque also cited United States jurisprudence. He said that in the U.S., random drug testing in high schools was allowed but making it mandatory was deemed unconstitutional.
On Thursday, PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said they are planning to propose mandatory drug testing for all students Grades 4 and up and teachers in private and public schools.
He said this was necessary because they found that students as young as 10 years old could be involved with drugs.
But many were concerned about possible violations of the students’ rights.
In an interview with CNN Philippines, Commission on Human Rights Commissioner Gwen Pimentel said: “The right to privacy for one. The right to consent. They have to be informed why are they being tested like this.”
“We have to be very conscious of not infringing on the rights of these children and there has to be safeguards and guidelines in doing so.”
On Saturday, non-government organization Human Rights Watch also criticized the proposal and called it a “drastic extension” of the current drug testing program.
