Comelec no longer keen on drug tests for bets

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is no longer keen on requiring aspirants in the May 2022 polls to submit negative results of their drug tests following reports that most presidential bets support the proposal.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said they have attempted to require drug testing for aspiring candidates in previous elections, but they were stopped by a decision from the Supreme Court (SC).

“We’ve done this before. The Supreme Court ruled against it, and we stopped,” Jimenez told reporters in a Viber message when asked to comment on the proposal of senatorial aspirant Raffy Tulfo to require candidates of the 2022 polls to undergo drug testing.

Requiring political aspirants to undergo drug testing has been declared by the SC as unconstitutional in 2008, as it emphasized that it violates the 1987 Constitution by providing additional requirements for aspiring candidates.

Tulfo said that he intends to propose to the Comelec to require drug testing for aspiring candidates in the May 2022 polls using hair follicles instead of the usual urine.

Presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo said she supports the proposal, saying she does not see anything wrong with it and is ready to undergo drug testing.

Her rival, former senator Bongbong Marcos, also expressed his support for the proposal.