Narco politics is the root of our drug problem! Why not do the random testing closer to the roots? – Eric B. Manalang

E ric B. Manalang is the president of the Ang Kapatiran Party (www.angkapatiranparty.org). Here is the full statement of Mr. Manalang: “So here goes this government again going after the EFFECT rather than the ROOTS! Narco politics is the root of our drug problem! Why not do the random testing closer to the roots? Start with Malacañang, Congress, Cabinet members, local appointed-and-elected officials and their immediate families. We are possibly already a narco state, if not nearing it. Let's dare Malacañang to show the way. God bless and save drug victims! May God curse the drug lords!”

Eric Manalang represents the millions of voices—both in the Philippines and in the various Overseas-Filipino communities—that say it does not take rocket science to conclude that testing students for illegal-drug use is the height of stupidity. Even in the United States, which is the world’s number-one market for illegal drugs and prohibited substances, drug testing among students is not practiced.

What school authorities do is to implement the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Program. It is the highly-acclaimed program that gives kids the skills they need to avoid involvement in drugs, gangs, and violence.

The D.A.R.E. was founded in 1983 in Los Angeles, California, and has proven so successful that it is now being implemented in 75 percent of America's school districts and in more than 43 countries around the world.

The D.A.R.E. is a police officer-led series of classroom lessons that teaches children from kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives. Perhaps Anti-drug Czarina Arroyo and her Rasputins may like to learn about the D.A.R.E. by reading first its website, www.dare.com

Editor’s Note: To read about the Rasputins in the Arroyo Administration, please click on this link,
The Arroyo “Czarzuela” Is Actually a De-facto Military Junta

C zarina Arroyo, her Cabinet members, her Rasputins, members of Congress and nearly everybody who holds an important government position in the Philippine government have visited foreign countries. Why, according to the common folks in the homeland, “Ginagawa ni Pangulong Arroyo parang Quiapo ang New York.” (“President Arroyo travels frequently to New York as if it were Quiapo.” It is a district in Manila, which is barely three miles from the presidential palace.) So, how can Filipino government possibly not know the highly-successful D.A.R.E. program in their favorite vacation spot? Even in Las Vegas, Nevada, where Filipino congressmen assemble during the bouts of Manny Pacquiao as if there were a special session of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, the D.A.R.E. program exists.

Editor’s Note: To read about the presence of Filipino legislators
 and government officials in boxing bouts of Manny Pacquaio,
 please read, Defending Filipino Congressmen and Politicians Who See Manny Pacquiao’s Title Bouts in Vegas  and Nevada Praises Filipinos and their Boxing Idol for Saving the Las Vegas Economy

If Czarina Arroyo and her Rasputins do not get it, drug testing is required for all job applicants not only in all the schools but also in almost all public and private offices, commercial companies and firms in the United States. Athletes – whether professional or amateur – undergo frequent random testing for illegal drugs, enhancing-performance substances and alcohol. But nobody does random drug-testing – even on a voluntary basis – on school kids, high-school and college students. Law-enforcement officers (LEOs) are not exempted from random drug testing.

P erhaps the Arroyo Administration has a rotten reputation because stupidity is the surname of many of its policy-and-decision makers, aside from their greed that pervades many of its transactions and even day-to-day functions.

The Ang Kapatiran Party’s Eric Manalang is not the first Filipino leader to claim that “Narco politics is the root of our drug problem.” Mr. Manalang is not a solitary voice in the wilderness that Czarina Arroyo can easily ignore or set aside.

This author and others like Sen. Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr., previously wrote about the number-one problem now in the homeland, in which corruption in the government circles is the main reason for its rapid growth. Here are the links to the articles:

Illegal-Drug Abuse Now an Epidemic in the Philippines

Will the Philippines Follow in the Footsteps of Mexico and Suffer Also from Narco Wars?

President Arroyo Gets New Title of “Czarina”

GMA Advised to Give Up Role as Anti-Drug Czar (by Senator Pimentel)

This writer mentioned also the apparent participation in the narco trade and politics of LEOs and even some top Philippine-military bigwigs in these articles:

It Is Time for Filipino Americans to Stop Playing “Mr. Nice Guy”

A Call to Arms? (Part4 of Reinventing the RP Military)

H ere are excerpts from a Manila Bulletin article about what Chief Rasputin, oops, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said about the guidelines proposed by Dangerous-Drugs Board chairman Vicente Sotto III:

http://www.mb.com.ph/MTNN20090129146828.html

Malacañang yesterday released the government's guidelines for random testing for 10 students in each school, which promise utmost confidentiality and special care, to ensure there would be no infringement of civil liberties.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the guidelines proposed by Dangerous Drugs Board chairman Vicente Sotto III covers the procedures of drug testing, from notification, samples, selection of samples, to the treatment of test results.

General Ermita, in a news conference, said the government considers random drug testing a "health issue" and aims to provide services to drug dependents and help them stop abuse of the illegal substance.

He added that the drug testing program, including the selection and results, would guarantee personal privacy and dignity of the students and would not be used in any criminal proceedings.

Even the names of the schools shall be held in strict confidentiality regardless of the results of the testing.

Ermita said the random drug testing sought to determine prevalence of drug users among students, assess effectivity of school-based prevention programs, deter use of illegal drugs, and facilitate rehabilitation of drug users and dependents.

Under the six-page guidelines, the school administration will explain the procedures of drug testing to the school community.

All students and their parents will be notified in writing on the process and manner of the random drug tests. All schools will be visited on random dates. At least 10 students will be randomly selected per school.

"The number of samples should yield a statistical 95 percent confidence level for the whole student population," Ermita said.

The selection of students will be random through a lottery, which may be computerized, or in any manner agreed upon by the school's selection board.

The Selection Board will ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the selection process.

Prior to testing, the students will be asked to if they ingested prescription medicines, vitamins, and food supplements in the last five days. They will fill up a chain of custody forms prior to specimen collection.

The drug testing shall be done in the school and conducted by a duly accredited drug-testing laboratory assisted by the school health personnel.

The results of the drug test will be strictly confidential. Any person who violates the rules of confidentiality of the results and selection would be charged in court. In case the results are positive, the drug testing coordinator will inform both student and parents concerned that a confirmatory test will be conducted.

First-time positive confirmatory drug test result will not be a ground for expulsion or any disciplinary action against the student.

The drug testing coordinator will refer the student and his parent to Department of Health or any accredited government doctors to determine the student's dependency level. The student may opt for a private physician.

In the event the student is determined to be a drug dependent, the school may impose appropriate sanctions against him.

"But positive results or drug dependency must in no way cause the expulsion of the student or shall be used to advance administrative, criminal, or legal action against the student," Ermita said.

Afterwards, the student will undergo three months of observation and counseling period under the supervision of a DoH-accredited facility.

"At the end of three months, it is hoped that with the counseling done, the student will be properly rehabilitated," the guideline read.

Ermita reiterated that the there is no human-rights violations with the random drug tests, saying parents should even appreciate the government's efforts to find cure for drug dependents among the youth. # # #