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BY PRINCE GOLEZ, Manila Reporter
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MANILA – The Department of Education (DepEd) has been warned against providing the Philippines National Police (PNP) with lists of students who test positive in drug tests.
Keeping drug test results confidential will avoid abuses and deaths of students, said Sen. Bam Aquino.
DepEd is the lead agency in the random drug testing of students.
“It must fulfill its promise to keep confidential its results. Hindi nila dapat hayaang mapunta ito sa kamay ng PNP upang hindi magamit laban sa ating mga kabataan,” said Aquino.
Aquino said protecting the confidentiality of students will prevent another minor being killed in the government’s war on drugs.
“Kung makukuha ng PNP ang listahang ito, maaari itong maabuso ng mga tiwaling pulis at gamitin sa panggigipit,” he added. “Ayaw nating magkaroon ng isa pang kaso na may mamamatay na estudyante sa ating bayan.”
At DepEd’s budget hearing in the Senate, Education secretary Leonor Briones assured lawmakers that the results of the random drug testing will remain confidential and will not result in the filing of charges against minors tested positive for drugs.
“Panghahawakan natin ang pangakong ito ng DepEd upang matiyak ang kaligtasan ng ating mga kabataan laban sa anumang pang-aabuso ng awtoridad,” said Aquino.
Aquino shared that during his stint as Senate education committee chairman, the DepEd, Dangerous Drugs Board and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency promised that random drug testing in schools won’t tread on rights of students but merely to determine the prevalence of illegal drugs in schools.
According to t he senator, DepEd and other government agencies also promised to extend help to students who test positive through a rehabilitation program and peer counseling./PN
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