Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri announced on Saturday that he and his entire staff will undergo mandatory drug testing on Monday, stressing that the move is aimed at restoring public trust and upholding the institutional integrity of the Senate.
Speaking in a DWIZ radio interview, Zubiri described the decision as a matter of leadership and accountability, calling on 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 testing. Talagang ipapa-test ko silang lahat. I will mandatorily ask my staff to take drug testing, including me. Pati senador, isama natin para wala nang duda,” Zubiri said.
The initiative comes in the wake of reports that the Senate’s Office of the Sergeant-At-Arms flagged a senator’s staff member in an alleged incident involving marijuana use within Senate premises.
The development 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.
“Kung ako ang masusunod, gagawin ko po ang binanggit ng dating Senate President Sotto na magkaroon ng random drug testing (If it were up to me, I would implement what former Senate President Sotto suggested, to conduct random drug testing),” he said.
He encouraged other senators, including members of the minority bloc, to demonstrate similar openness.
“Lawmakers should not be lawbreakers. I encourage all the other senators to do the same,” he said.
Zubiri also said he is willing to undergo a more stringent hair follicle test — a method known to detect long-term drug use — to eliminate any shadow of doubt over his office’s conduct.
“Kaya dapat, mauna po ako. Willing din po akong mag-hair follicle test para sa ganun eh walang duda, na sa opisina ni Migz Zubiri eh walang nagdro-droga (That's why I should go first. I'm also willing to take a hair follicle test so that there's no doubt that no one in Migz Zubiri's office is using drugs),” he declared.
He further emphasized that testing should apply uniformly across Senate offices — from rank-and-file staff to elected officials — to dispel suspicions and enforce ethical standards consistently.
When asked how his office would respond to positive test results, Zubiri said the process would include preventive suspension, followed by rehabilitation.
“Kung admitted nila na talagang sila po ay gumagamit ng bawal na gamot, bigyan natin sila ng chance to rehabilitate. Pasok muna sila sa rehab. At pag magrehab sila matapos ang ilang buwan at negative na ang drug test nila (If they admit that they are indeed using illegal drugs, let’s give them a chance to rehabilitate. They should enter rehab first. And if, after a few months of rehabilitation, their drug test comes out negative), we can allow them to go back to work,” he explained.
While refraining from commenting on the specific case that triggered the initiative, Zubiri reiterated that his focus was on setting an example and ensuring the Senate lives up to the standards expected of public servants.
“Kung wala ka namang kasalanan, hindi ka dapat matakot (If you haven’t done anything wrong, you have nothing to be afraid of). We want to show and lead by example,” he said.