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A university official is in favor of the random drug tests on high school and college students that have been strongly opposed by militant student group.
Joselito Gullas, vice president for finance and administration of the University of the Visayas, said he saw no reason to oppose the plan just as long as it was thorough and included counseling and rehabilitation.
?The question now is who shoulders the expenses and how it will be implemented,? Gullas asked.
He added that once the tests have been conducted, results should be treated with respect to protect the student?s privacy.
?It is a confidential thing. It is up to the school to protect the student. There should be counseling,? he said.
But acting Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said the random testing would ultimately be useless.
Rama said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo?s order to conduct the randomized drug test was ?embarrassing and pathetic,? and showed the state of country in addressing drug problems.
?After this, who?s next? Our teachers?? Rama asked.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) earlier said faculty members will be included in teh drug tests which will star in February.
Instead of conducting drug tests, Rama said the government should concentrate on looking for signs that a person was on drugs and then place him in a rehab center to take off the dependency.
He said the country?s leaders should address the drug problem rather than busy themselves with the 2010 elections or making themselves rich.
Rama, however, declined to answer when asked about the difference between the surprise drug test conducted by the national government and the random drug tests by the City Office on Substance Abuse and Prevention (Cosap) on barangay employees, staff, and officials.
Councilor Augustus Pe Jr. earlier said the city allocated P150,000 this year for random drug tests to be conducted in different barangays.
The fund would be used to buy screening kits that cost P130 to P150 each.
Geraldine Aguelo, vice president for the Visayas of the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP), said in a statement that the Department of Education and the CHEd should review the drug testing program.
?The measure is punitive, arbitrary and discriminatory and essentially illustrates the lack of any comprehensive plan to go after the real culprits in the drug problem: the drug dealers and corrupt government officials who turn a blind eye to drug dealers? activities,? she said.
?If the (Philippine National Police) and the justice system will just shape up, spending millions (of pesos) in drug tests would be unnecessary,? she added.
Aguelo called on the government to reassess the expenses for the P25-million budget and focus on books, chairs and school infrastructure.
She said the budget of P25 million could produce about 400,000 textbooks or build 50 classrooms.
?The NUSP urges education officials to focus their time and energy on instituting a program that will include drug education in the curriculum of schools,? she added.
