The office of Sen. Robin Padilla on Friday issued an official statement announcing that political officer and former actress Nadia Montenegro was directed to take an immediate leave of absence on August 13.
Padilla’s office said that even before the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) conducted an investigation, it had already initiated an internal probe regarding media reports implicating Montenegro’s alleged marijuana use.
On the same day she was asked to take a leave, Montenegro was given five days, or until August 18, to submit her written explanation regarding the said articles “to provide her the opportunity to address and clarify the matters raised therein.”
Upon receipt of the incident report from the OSAA on August 14, she was likewise given five days, or until August 19, to submit her explanation in response to said report.
“The Office shall take the appropriate action upon review and evaluation of her submissions,” read the statement issued by Padilla’s office.
Senate Minority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III earlier urged the chamber to reinstate random drug testing among its employees following the Montenegro investigation.
Sotto said the OSAA previously conducted surprise tests across all offices during his term as Senate president in the 18th Congress.
“Random drug taking was undertaken by the OSAA in all offices, including theirs often. When I was gone, they removed it,” Sotto said.
According to him, more than 300 employees and several senators voluntarily took part in the tests during his leadership, all yielding negative results.
