Comelec: Substance abuse not a ground for disqualifying a candidate

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday said substance abuse is not a ground for an election candidate's disqualification.

“Substance abuse is not among the disqualifications provided for by law,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said in a statement.

He explained that the poll body had tried to make drug testing a requirement for candidates during the previous elections.

“In any case, the Comelec did try to require candidates to submit a negative drug test several elections ago. The move was disapproved by the Supreme Court,” Jimenez said.

In 2008, the SC declared unconstitutional a provision in the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 requiring mandatory drug testing for all candidates for public office and people facing criminal charges. 

The high court said a citizen’s right to elect a public official “should not be defeated by unwarranted impositions of requirement not otherwise specified in the Constitution.”

The poll body issued the statement after President Rodrigo Duterte claimed on Thursday that one of the presidential aspirants in Eleksyon 2022 was using cocaine.

Although he did not mention the name, Duterte dropped hints that this aspirant has not accomplished anything yet, is a weak leader, and appears to be banking on the name of his father. — VBL, GMA News