COMELEC ISSUES DRUG TEST REMINDER

It's Mandatory For All Candidates -- Abalos Honasan, Trillanes Assured
Of Appearance In Comelec Hour

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) warned yesterday all prospective
candidates for members of the House of Representatives, governors,
mayors, and other local posts in the country against ignoring the
mandatory drug test under Republic Act 9165.

The Comelec, led by Chairman Benjamin S. Abalos Sr., made the warning
as reports from its field offices in various parts of the country
showed that early filers of certificates of candidacy (CoC) failed to
attach to their CoC a drug test certificate despite having been
reminded about it by the election officer concerned.

As this developed, Abalos assured yesterday that senatorial candidates
Gregorio Honasan and Antonio Trillanes IV will be given the
opportunity to appear in the "Comelec Hour" television program just
like other candidates, despite the reported prohibition by a Makati
judge on Trillanes.

One Comelec report showed that of the first five candidates for House
members in Metro Manila, none had submitted a drug test
certificate.

They filed their CoC with the Comelec Regional Office in the National
Capital Region (NCR) at FEMII Annex Bldg., Don Soriano Ave.,
Intramuros, Manila.

The early filers were advised by the Comelec NCR office to submit the
required drug test certificate on or before March 29 as required under
Section 36 (g) of RA 9165 and under Section 3 of Comelec en banc
Resolution No. 7822.

A number of senatorial candidates, it was reported, also failed to
submit drug test certification but they promised to submit the same
before the March 29 deadline.

Section 38 of RA 9165 reads:

"Authorized drug testing shall be done by any government forensic
laboratories or by any of the drug testing laboratories accredited and
monitored by the DoH to safeguard the quality of the test results. The
DoH shall take steps in setting the price of the drug test with
DoH-accredited drug testing centers to further reduce the cost of such
drug tests. The drug testing shall employ, among others, two (2)
testing methods, the screening test which will determine the positive
result as well as the type of drug used and the confirmatory test
which will confirm a positive screening test. Drug test certificates
issued by accredited drug testing centers shall be valid for a
one-year period from the date of issue which may be used for other
purposes."

Prospective candidates, Abalos said, could undergo mandatory drug test
in government forensic laboratories or any drug testing laboratories
monitored and accredited by the Department of Health (DoH).

He said mandatory drug test for all candidates is being required to
enable the voters to know the quality of candidates they are electing
and be assured that only those who can serve with utmost
responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency would be elected to
public office.

Aside from the candidates for senators, House members and other local
posts, nominees of party or sectoral organizations participating in
the party-list system are required to submit drug test certificates
not later than March 29, which is also the deadline for the filing of
certificates of candidacy for House members, governors and other local
posts as well as for the submission of party-list nominees.

The drug test certificates should be submitted with the following
Comelec offices:

(a) Candidates for senators -- with the Law Department.

(b) Nominees of partysectoral organization participating in the party
list system -- with the Law Department.

(c) Candidates for House members in the NCR -- with the Regional
Election Director.

(d) Candidates for provincial positions -- with the office of the
Election Officer concerned.

(e) Candidates for city/municipal positions -- with the office of the
Provincial Officer concerned.

Comelec officials said the lists of those who complied with the
mandatory drug test and those who did not will be published in two
newspapers of general circulation.