Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri announced on Saturday he and his entire staff will undergo drug tests on Monday, saying the move would restore public trust and uphold the institutional integrity of the chamber.

Speaking in an interview over DWIZ, Zubiri described the move as a matter of leadership and accountability, calling on his fellow senators to follow suit and commit to similar transparency measures within their offices.

“This coming week, I will subject my office to random drug tests. I will have them all tested, including me so there will be no doubt,” Zubiri said.

This comes in the wake of a report a senator’s staff member was suspected of using marijuana in the Senate premises.

This sparked calls for broader drug testing protocols and an ethics review within the chamber.

Zubiri cited former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III’s earlier proposal for random drug testing in the Senate, endorsing it as a necessary step to safeguard the institution’s credibility.

“If it were up to me, I would follow what former Senate President Sotto said about conducting random drug testing,” he said.

He encouraged the other senators to do likewise.

“Lawmakers should not be lawbreakers. I encourage all the other senators to do the same,” he said.

Zubiri said he is willing to undergo the more stringent hair follicle test, a method that detects long-term drug use.

“That’s why I should go first. I am also willing to undergo a hair follicle test so there will be no doubt that in Migz Zubiri’s office, no one is using drugs,” he said.

Zubiri emphasized that testing should be done across all Senate offices — from the rank-and-file to the elected officials — to dispel suspicions and enforce ethical standards consistently.

Asked how his office would respond to a positive test result, Zubiri laid out a process that includes preventive suspension, followed by a chance at rehabilitation.

“If they admit that they are using illegal drugs, let’s give them a chance to rehabilitate. They should first enter rehab,” he said.

While he refrained from commenting on the specific case that triggered the uproar in the chamber, Zubiri reiterated that his focus was on setting an example and ensuring that the Senate lives up to the standards expected of public servants.

“If you haven’t done anything wrong, you should not be afraid. We want to show and lead by example,” he said.