Veterans' Equity Bill: Is it really equitable?

There’s no question that our World War II veterans were so blessed that the US Congress approved the $787-billion economic stimulus bill asked by President Barack Obama and that this package included a one-time, lump-sum payment of $15,000 for Filipino veterans living in the US, while those living outside the US would get $9,000.

While I’m sure that my uncle Col. Manuel F. Segura (he wrote two books on the Cebuano guerrillas, “Tabunan” and “The Koga Papers”) would be very happy to get the smaller amount as he is still living here in Cebu, I would like to believe, however, that this is very unfair in the sense that these Filipino veterans fought a war when the Philippines was still a colony of the United States… hence they should have been granted equal status as the Filipino veterans now living in the US.

But in truth, I’m sure that those Filipino veterans living here would meekly accept the money, no matter how delayed it is. In fairness to them, they fought the Imperial Japanese occupiers with grave risk to their lives without even thinking of getting any remuneration. While the US Congress calls this measure the Veterans’ Equity Bill, I really don’t find it equitable at all. But just the same, thanks to the US Congress for approving it anyway. They should call a spade a spade!

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Last January, when President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA) named herself as the Drug Czarina, we wrote an article questioning the need for drug testing before one could get a driver’s license or have his old one renewed with the Land Transportation Office (LTO). This has been happening for a good many years now, but we have no idea whether the drug tests have helped in the government’s war against the use of illegal drugs.

The reason we pointed out was that, despite the proliferation of drug testing centers all over the country, which seems to be a very profitable business, we haven’t gotten a single report that showed that the LTO refused to renew the licenses or grant new ones to those who applied but failed their drug tests. This is due to the fact that anyone can use someone else’s urine so he could pass the drug test. Since we wrote that article, we didn’t get any response from anyone, until a week ago when I got this e-mailed letter:

“Dear Sir, This is in response to your column (TF 01/16/2009) ‘GMA ought to look at drug testing centers.’ The main issue is whether all DOH-accredited DTCs in operation have something to report to the public, when they haven’t caused any dent in our war against drug abuse. I am challenged to come out, being the owner and head of laboratory (HOL) of Medical Corner and Drug Test Clinic located in Mandaue City and operating since 2003. 

“In the latter part of 2003, LTO transferred the function of accreditation to DOH which had the expertise to oversee the operations of drug testing nationwide. With DOH at the helm, systematic staffing was implemented such as head of lab (HOL), analyst and authorized specimen collector (ASC). Confirmatory test is compulsory and mandatory for every positive illegal drug detected in our initial screening test. We pay P500 each from our resources for every illegal drug confirmed and we’re glad that in Cebu we have the Philippine Drug Screening Laboratory.

“From 2004 to 2008, (among our) driver’s license, employment, and probation applicants with confirmed positive results we had had five double users of methamphetamines (shabu) and tetrahydrocannabinol (marijuana) in their system, 65 shabu users and 10 for marijuana and mostly males. Last Jan. 23, I had one positive for illegal drug and waiting for confirmatory result for methamphetamines. Being head of laboratory didn’t come easy as we had to pass the rigid written exam of DOH-PSP in Manila and likewise for analyst conducted by DOH-PAMET.

“We were trained to protect the integrity of our drug test from urine collection to disposal, refrain from pressures for financial gain and uphold our duties and responsibilities in the implementing rules and regulations (IRR). Our records and documents can be inspected any time and through the DOH-Information Management System in Manila. I would like to commend my staff for refusing applicants with adulterated urine specimens and those with doubtful ID cards. Thank you very much for giving me space in your column. Respectfully yours, Dr. Danilo C. Dionson, DOH-HOL No. 04-0154.”

Thank you, Dr. Dionson, for your thorough defense of drug testing centers. It still proves my point that we have no idea whether this requirement has helped our war against drug abuse.

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For e-mail responses to this article, write to [email protected]. Bobit Avila’s columns can also be accessed through www.philstar.com. He also hosts a weekly talkshow, “Straight from the Sky,” every Monday, 8 p.m., only in Metro Cebu on Channel 15 of SkyCable.