Cascolan: Not undergoing drug test could be seen as ‘matter of guilt’ for barangay, SK bets

As over one hundred candidates for the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections from Quezon City heeded Philippine National Police Director General Oscar Albayalde's call to undergo a voluntary drug test, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Camilo Pancratius Cascolan said that choosing not to do so "could be perceived as a matter of guilt already."

"That's what you call a sense of responsibility in every Filipino, most especially those who are running for office, for the people to know who they really are," he said on Tuesday, as he and Quezon City Police District director Chief Superintendent Joselito Esquivel witnessed the drug tests of around 113 candidates at the Cubao Police Station headed by Superintendent Louise Benjie Tremor.

Although the drug test, which costs around P200, is not mandatory for those running for office, Cascolan also warned he would soon be releasing a list of all those who have been tested and those who have not, according to a report on News to Go by Kara David on Wednesday.

The drug test was conducted by a Department of Health-accredited medical laboratory while a confirmatory test will be done if any candidate yields a positive result in order to "rule out error."

Esquivel said that the candidates who "willingly accepted the challenge" came from at least nine barangays, including Bagong Lipunan, E Rodriguez, Horse Shoe, Kaunlaran, San Martin de Porres, San Roque, Silangan, Socorro and Valencia.

"[I]to pong drug test challenge na ito ay malaking tulong po in relation din sa war on drugs natin, dahil kung wala kayong tinatago, kung incumbent ka man o nag-aaspire kang manungkulan sa barangay, ipkaita mo ang iyong pagtulong sa ating kampanya by submitting to this 'drug test challenge,' gaya rin ng ginagawa ng mga pulis na regular na nag-uundergo ng drug test," Esquivel was quoted as saying in a press release on Wednesday.

"At kung hindi sila magpapa-drug test para lang sa challenge na ito ng ating PNP chief, it's up to the people to judge and to ask them kung bakit hindi sila nagpa-drug test," he added.

The News to Go report said that candidates in Batangas and Cotabato reportedly underwent voluntary drug testing as well.

On April 30, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) released the list of barangay chairpersons and councilmen allegedly involved in illegal drugs. — with a report by Margaret Claire Layug/BM, GMA News