DRUG TEST FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS DEFERRED

To allow more time for consultation with parents of schoolchildren,
the Department of Education (DepEd) decided to put off Monday's start
of the random drug testing in 15 selected public and private high
schools in Metro Manila.

Instead, according to DepEd Regional Director for Metro Manila
Teresita Domalanta, the drug testing will be implemented on Wednesday
with the department targeting seven public and eight private schools
as the "pilot schools."

"We decided to postpone Monday's launch of the random drug test to
give more time for consultation with the parents since it is only
last Thursday and Friday that we were able to give the forms
informing them of the procedure," Domalanta said.

She added that they were able to distribute 10,000 forms to parents
in Metro Manila over the weekend. She expects that the parents would
return the information forms with their inputs on Monday.

Domalanta said the media will be invited to cover the drug testing
program during its official launching.

Earlier, Education Assistant Secretary for Special Projects Thelma
Santos said that DepEd non-teaching personnel will also undergo
random drug testing after all operation in schools has been concluded.

Santos disclosed that DepEd will spend around P25 million for the
random drug testing of a total of 250,000 students in public and
private secondary schools nationwide with a P100-budget allotted for
each student.

"The budget for the drug testing kit for each student is P30. The
confirmatory testing, the forms, and everything else will amount to
P100 per student," she added.

She, however, stressed that only shabu and marijuana can be detected
from the drug tests, since it would be too expensive for DepEd to
purchase kits which can identify traces of ecstasy and cocaine, which
were considered as luxury drugs.

DepEd conducted a random drug test in 2003 to 2005 after study showed
that drug use in six regions of the country, including the National
Capital Region (NCR), increased by 10 percent.

In 2004, DepEd, through its Health and Nutrition Center, also
conducted drug testing of high school students in 17 randomly
selected schools in each region to determine the prevalence of drug
users among students.

The renewed push for the program came after the arrest of three young
drug suspects - Richard Brodett, Jordana Joseph, and Joseph Tecson -
who were apprehended by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)
operatives in a buy bust operation inside the posh Ayala Alabang
Village in Muntinlupa.

The suspects' families allegedly offered bribes to Department of
Justice (DOJ) prosecutors to ensure their release, PDEA said.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo after naming herself as the
country's anti-illegal drug czar ordered a mandatory drug testing
among students not only in secondary level but as well as college or
the tertiary level. (AH/Sunnex)