Palace thumbs down drug tests on grade schoolers

Images by. http://www.bomboradyo.com Parents of grade school students can now heave a sigh of relief.

This after Malacañang yesterday practically shot down a proposal by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to subject to drug testing students grade four and above.

Speaking at the Lim Ket Kai Atrium in Cagayan de Oro City, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Jr. said the palace is supportive of the decision of the Department of Education (DepEd) to oppose PDEA’s proposal.

Earlier, Senator JV Ejercito had said grade schoolers are too young to be subjected to drug tests.

“We concur with Secretary (Leonor) Briones that the Dangerous Drug Act limits possible drug testing to high school and not to grade school students,” Roque said.

Roque said Briones’ position is based on American jurisprudence regarding the unsuitability of conducting drug tests on grade schoolers. The American justice system is loosely followed in the Philippines.

“We take the side of Secretary Briones invoking that (legal stand) in the United States, (that) what has been upheld as being constitutional is only random testing for high school,” Roque said.

Roque, in the same press briefing, cited the need to fast track the transition to a federal form of government in order to equalize progress among regions in the country.

Roque admitted that some provinces are still lagging behind in development thus the need to prioritize the government’s Build Build Build program.

“We are calling on the public and Congress to support federalism so we can remove the bias against the provinces when it comes to development,” said Roque in Filipino.

Meanwhile, Roque revealed that a two-storey passenger terminal building (PTB) will soon be constructed in Cagayan de Oro City to be completed in December this year.

Once operational, it will be the largest passenger terminal building in the country that can accommodate approximately 3,000 passengers daily.