DAVAO CITY — First Congressional District Rep. Paolo Z. Duterte on Monday, 13 August, filed House Bill 10744 in Congress, which would require elected and appointed public officials, including the President, to take drug tests every six months.

“Being at the forefront of public service with the mandate towards integrity and modesty, it is imperative that public officials and government employees should be the very first to uphold such constitutional mandate by submitting themselves towards accountability measures that serve as a tool in addressing the fulfillment of the mandate,” he said.

The bill also encouraged institutionalizing voluntary random drug testing of candidates for electoral posts within 90 days of election day, amending for the purpose of the Republic Act 9165 or The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

"Considering the initiatives towards the deterrence of drug use and abuse, exemptions or favors in the mandatory nature of random drug testing shall not extend to certain class privilege such as the elected and appointed officials, since it becomes imperative upon their own mandate that they shall lead the life of modesty and integrity," Rep. Duterte said in his explanatory note.

He underscored that in the application of the equal protection of the law, mandatory random drug testing every six months shall become binding among elected and appointed officials and voluntary drug testing is encouraged to candidates of electoral posts, pursuant to what the bill foremost seeks.

The proposed law states that authorized drug tests would be performed by government forensic laboratories or by Department of Health (DOH)-accredited laboratories.

The DOH is also mandated under the bill to work on setting the price of drug tests in DOH-accredited drug testing centers to further reduce the cost.

The drug testing will include two methods: a screening test, conducted through a "hair follicle drug test," which will determine a positive result and the type of drug used; and a confirmatory test, conducted through a "urine drug test," to confirm a positive screening result.

Drug test certificates issued by accredited centers will be valid for one year from the date of issue and may be used for other purposes.