FOR ELECTORATE’S ADVICE

LINGAYEN—The Commission on Elections regional office has welcomed the suggestion of the police regional office to urge all candidates in the May barangay and SK elections to take drug tests voluntarily.

This was revealed by Chief Supt. Romulo Sapitula, police Region 1 director, even as he clarified that drug tests are not compulsory and required of candidates.

He said he broached the proposal during a Regional Election Control Center Conference at Camp Florendo in San Fernando City, La Union last week.

“If the candidates do not want to take a drug test, we will not force them,” said Sapitula during a press conference prior to the start of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) meeting at Sison Auditorium on April 18.

He said, however, activities of those who will not take the drug tests, particularly those in drug watch lists, will be monitored by the police. He encouraged communities to also do their own monitoring.

“Bakit ayaw nilang magpa-drug test? Anong rason nila? O karapatan nila? Tama, igagalang namin ang karapatan nila kaya hindi namin sila pipilitin,” Sapitula said.

He defended his proposal for a voluntary drug test by the candidates, saying it is also the right of the electorate to know the kind of persons they are electing in the barangay and SK polls.

Sapitula admitted his office has a list of suspected narco politicians who filed their candidacies but said he would not divulge their names.

He said before the election, the police will compile lists of candidates who took drug tests and those who did not and will be posted in front of police stations, and possibly in town or city plazas so the public will be informed.

Sapitula believes the plan will not violate any law because the list will merely show those who took the drug tests and who did not.

And since it will cost candidates to have a drug test, Sapitula said he will ask the mayors in the four provinces who are supporting the campaign against illegal drugs to shoulder the costs.

Under the PNP proposal, the drug test must be conducted by accredited drug testing centers with the result to be made available after a day or earlier.

If the result of the drug test of a certain candidate turns out to be positive, it will be subjected to confirmatory test. If the confirmatory test will again turn positive, the candidate has a lot of things to worry about.

He said the law provides that a confirmed drug user can be charged in court as user.

“We will not arrest him (the candidate) but we will surely file a case against him,” he said.

He added that since they initiated the signing of peace covenants by candidates in all towns and cities in Pangasinan scheduled April 21 and 22, they might as well post, too, the list of candidates who signed and those who did not.

At the same time, Sapitula assured that the police and the military will do everything to prevent the New People’s Army (NPA) from causing disturbance in the region during the campaign period and on election day.

So far, nine persons in Pangasinan were arrested for violating the gun ban. (Leonardo Micua)

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