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Robin Padilla undergoes drug test amid call to make it mandatory for artists
By HANA BORDEY,GMA NewsActor-turned-lawmaker Senator Robin Padilla on Wednesday underwent drug testing at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Quezon City and yielded negative results.
Padilla made the initiative amid calls for mandatory drug testing on actors as he reiterated his position that drug tests should be voluntary and not mandatory.
The proposal
was made by Surigao del Norte Representative Robert Ace Barbers in light of the arrest of actor Dominic Roco and four others in a drug bust in Quezon City."Kasi meron po tayong idol din na mambabatas, si Cong. Ace. Ang nais po niya mandatory para sa ating mga artista. Ako naman po, dinadagdagan ko lang po 'yung kanyang mungkahi na pwede rin namang voluntary," Padilla said in an ambush interview.
(Cong. Ace is my idol and he wants a mandatory drug tests for artists. For my part, I suggest that the drug tests should be voluntary.)
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"Hindi lang po sa mga artista ano pati sa mga government official. Tayo na mismo i-submit na natin ang mga sarili natin. Magpa-drug test na tayo para wala nang haka-haka," he added.
(Not just for artists but government officials as well. We should take the lead and submit ourselves to drug tests to avoid speculations.)
Padilla said this initiative also shows support to the law enforcement agencies in their fight against illegal drugs.
In a statement released by Padilla's office, PDEA director-general Wilkins Villanueva said the agency is open to civilians, including actors, who wanted to undergo drug tests.
Earlier, Padilla said making drug tests mandatory to actors is tantamount to violation of human rights.
"I am one in seeking to protect our fellow Filipinos from the ill effects of illegal drugs. This includes my fellow workers in the showbiz industry. However, we cannot oblige anyone to undergo a drug test, as it is tantamount to violating their human rights," he said in a previous statement.—AOL, GMA News