Sara Duterte takes drug test, gets negative result

Vice presidential aspirant Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte on Wednesday said that she had taken a drug test and that it came back negative.

"Today, I took a drug test that yielded negative of any illegal substances. This test, I took voluntarily upon the request of my Uniteam partner, Senator Bongbong Marcos, to support the call for transparency as aspiring public officials seeking the trust of our fellow Filipinos," Sara said in a statement.

Sara said that the Uniteam BBM-Sara’s stand against illegal drugs was united and unequivocal.

"This can be seen from both our negative tests as well as our common stance against the proliferation of illegal drugs and the need for effective measures of prevention, rehabilitation, and enforcement," she said.

On Tuesday, presidential aspirant Ferdinand Marcos Jr. bared that he took a cocaine test and submitted the negative result to law enforcement agencies, days after President Rodrigo Duterte had claimed that a presidential aspirant is allegedly using cocaine.

Duterte did not identify the said candidate.  

"I really don’t feel that I am the one being alluded to. In spite of that, I believe it is my inherent duty as an aspiring public official to assure my fellow Filipinos that I am against illegal drugs," Marcos Jr. said.

She stressed that "as important as the war against illegal drugs is, other compelling issues continue to challenge our country’s ability to provide long-term safety and security for our people."

"Therefore, it is crucial in this electoral season that we focus on the substantial qualifications of those that seek to lead our country," Mayor Sara said.

"Particularly, that we examine our Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates under the lens of competence and experience – an infallible ability to manage crisis through policy and practice built up through years of executive, legislative, and administrative exposure; a proven track record of delivering security and development; and a clear and tested platform for job security and sustainable livelihood," she added. -NB, GMA News