MANILA, Philippines — Senate Deputy Minority Leader Miguel Zubiri said he and his entire staff would undergo “random” drug testing tomorrow, amid the marijuana smoking scandal in the Senate’s premises involving Nadia Montenegro, a former actor and staff member of Sen. Robinhood Padilla.
“I will subject my office to random drug testing, I will have them undergo test. I will mandatorily ask my staff to take drug tests including me. So there will be no doubt,” Zubiri told dwIZ. He had arranged for the drug test to begin at 11 a.m.
“And I encourage all other senators’ offices to do the same,” he added.
Zubiri stressed that he would lead by example, saying he is even willing to undergo a hair follicle test, considered to be more accurate.
“You know, refusing a drug test will invite suspicion that we’re all doing drugs, so we need to undergo drug test. But it should be ‘follow the leader,’ so I’ll take the test first, and I’m willing to take it if it’s a hair follicle test so there will be no doubt and they’ll say nobody in the office of Migz Zubiri does drugs,” he said.
While he cannot decide for the other senators, he said he can urge his colleagues in the minority bloc to take the same step.
Zubiri said he is backing calls by Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III and Sen. Joel Villanueva for random drug testing in the Senate, saying the measure would reinforce public trust in the chamber.
On possible sanctions against staff or employees who would be found positive for drugs, Zubiri said due process must apply. “For due process, we can ask for their preventive suspension, then if there’s an admission of drug use, we can give them a chance to undergo rehabilitation. And after rehab and getting tested negative for months, we can allow them to come back to work,” he said.
But serious cases, particularly involving shabu, would be dealt with more severely, like dismissal.
Meanwhile, Montenegro has been asked to go on leave “effective immediately” while an investigation on her alleged marijuana use inside the Senate building is underway.
In a statement signed by Padilla’s chief of staff Rudolf Philip Jurado, the senator’s office conducted an “initial internal investigation” before the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms began its own probe.
Initial reports cited incidents where Senate employees allegedly smelled marijuana wafting out of the ladies toilet from where Montenegro had just emerged. She denied smoking a joint, but she admitted to having a vape.
Montenegro was given five days or until Aug. 19 to submit a written explanation in response to the allegations.
“The Office shall take the appropriate action upon review and evaluation of her submissions,” the statement read.
In a dwIZ interview yesterday, Jurado said Montenegro should be given due process instead of being preventively suspended. Jurado also advised Montenegro to undergo a drug test to clear her name.
Padilla’s office is willing to participate in the random drug test called by Senate minority leader Vicente Sotto III, Jurado said.
In a dwIZ interview yesterday, Sotto said he will write to Senate President Francis Escudero to revive his policy when he was Senate president to conduct random drug tests.
Sotto said the Senate employee should be held accountable if her alleged marijuana use within Senate premises is proven true.
“I will write him a letter and give it to him Monday asking him to restore the random drug test, so that the people will see that the Senate is doing something about this,” Sotto said.