Vice presidential aspirant Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Thursday advised other candidates to take the multidrug test at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) if they want “unquestionable” results instead of getting tested in private clinics.
Meanwhile, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, who is running for president, assured the public he is willing to submit himself to the most comprehensive type drug test “anytime, anywhere.”
He said this is to reassure Filipinos that he is mentally and physically fit to discharge the duties of a president. He emphasized that voters have the right to be informed of any conditions which may seriously undermine a candidate’s ability to fulfill his/her potential role.
Also, presidential candidate Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso and Dr. Willie Ong have been tested negative for drugs after voluntarily submitting themselves at the PDEA headquarters in Quezon City “in the interest of public service in the highest order.”
Moreno, the standard-bearer of the Aksyon Demokratiko, stressed that submitting themselves to drug tests is their way of showing support for the current administration’s war on drugs.
Meanwhile, Sotto noted that PDEA is the best agency to submit candidates to a drug test since they are seeking the country’s top two elective positions.
He warned that private drug testing centers or clinics may produce “unreliable” results.
“They also cannot go to drug testing centers or clinics which are not reliable. First, in drug testing, it’s just for shabu or marijuana, those are the most common. That’s the common drug testing kit nationwide,” explained Sotto, a longtime anti-drug advocate.
According to the Senate leader, he is thankful that other candidates followed him and Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson in subjecting themselves to a drug test.
“Salamat naman at sumusunod na yung iba, kaya lang sana ganun din ang gawin ng iba, sa PDEA sila,” also said Sotto in yesterday’s “Meet the Press” conducted virtually.
Sotto and Lacson, who is running for President, both yielded negative results in their drug tests taken by PDEA. They underwent a multi-drug one-step immunometric assay for the detection of drugs of abuse in urine.
After this, the other contenders for president and vice president either announced or subjected themselves to drug tests.
