Speaker leads drug testing of lawmakers

MANILA, Philippines -  Speaker Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte Jr. spearheaded yesterday a voluntary drug testing program for members of the House of Representatives and expressed confidence the chamber is drug-free.

The testing was apparently an offshoot of the conviction of Ilocos Sur Rep. Ronald Singson in a Hong Kong court for drug trafficking. Singson was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Belmonte said he was confident the tests would show that none of the lawmakers tested would be found positive for illegal drug use.

“I am very confident of the people here and I think we are going to have 100 percent negative results. Let me emphasize this is voluntary testing,” Belmonte told reporters after undergoing a drug test.

When asked if he would make public the names of lawmakers who test positive for illegal drugs, he said, “I think we will know and we will tell the person involved. I don’t think so (we are going to name the person), not immediately.”

As of press time, 48 lawmakers have submitted urine samples for the drug test.

Iligan City Rep. Vicente Belmonte, chairman of the House committee on dangerous drugs, said at least 30 members of the panel and seven members of the committee on oversight panel underwent drug testing last November and they all “tested negative.”