City DepEd, students welcome random drug testing plan
BACOLOD CITY -- Bacolod City Schools Division Superintendent Milagros Gonzales welcomes the plan of Dangerous Drug Board to conduct random drug testing to high school and college students.
Gonzales said it could protect more students in ensuring that they are really going to school and not engaged in other vices which could affect their studies.
"The plan is also helpful to parents so that as early as today, they can rehabilitate their children if found out to be a drug addict," she added.
As far as Bacolod high schools are concerned under the Department of Education, no reports of student drug addicts have been recorded.
"Maybe there are but I cannot presume something which are not factual," Gonzales said.
Gonzales stressed that it should be put in writing like just like coming out with Implementing Rules and Regulation or a certain DepEd Order.
"We wanted to help our students and parents but we should be also careful in implementing it and we teachers must be equipped with papers as basis," she added.
Meanwhile, students in the city are very supportive of the plan.
Twenty college students and ten high school who do not want to reveal their names publicly in a personal interview said they are in favor of the proposal but before the drug testing will happen specific rules should be laid down first.
"If we will pay for it, maybe we can say forget about it. We hope it won't incur additional burden to us and our parents," the students said.
Reports from Bacolod City Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force revealed the presence of high-class students using illegal drugs in the city especially shabu and ecstasy.
They were closely monitored and the police authorities are only looking for the best opportune time to apprehend them.
Bacolod City Police Office Director Senior Supt. Ronilo Quebrar said the police are doing everything to eradicate the illegal drugs in the city which could greatly affect the young.
He is asking the support of the public to trace the drug pushers so that the full force of the law will be imposed against them.