(Eagle News) – To regain the trust of the public, Malacanang is pushing for mandatory drug testing for all government employees.
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella made this announcement Saturday in a government radio interview.
The call was made in the midst of President Duterte’s intensified campaign against illegal drugs.
So far, surprise drug tests have already been conducted by the Philippine National Police among its ranks.
Abella said the proposal is a welcome development “just to prove to the people na lahat ng mga tao natin ay maayos naman (Just to prove to the people that all government workers are proper),” in an interview by dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.
“That should not be a deterrent, it’s not a question of exposing but it’s a question of expressing, it’s a symbolic act. It’s a very powerful symbolic act, na pinapakita natin na tayong mga nagsisilbi sa gobyerno ay maayos na mga tao ‘yan, and they are people worthy of our trust (It is a very powerful symbolic act that would show that we in government are proper and are worthy of trust),” he said.
Abella stressed that the priority of President Duterte is to regain public trust with regards to public service.
Asked whether the President has any information about politicians who used drug money in the last election, Abella did not give a direct answer.
He said part of the President’s message was that he doesn’t want the country to fall into narcopolitics.
According to Abella, apparently, drug money is involved because there are mayors who have already acted independently of their parties during the campaign using their own money instead of asking for the support of their parties.
PNP chief Director General Ronaldo Dela Rosa said that the President had a list f local executives involved in illegal drugs.
He said at least 23 of them are mayors.
“I can’t reveal their identities, only the President can make public their names,” Philippine National Police Dela Rosa said.
In his announcement last week about how drug lords operate in the country, President Duterte mentioned that local politicians, particularly mayors, are persons of interest in his administration’s campaign against illegal narcotics trade.
The President also revealed the connivance of some policemen with Chinese triad members to distribute drugs in the country. (with a PND report)