DAVAO CITY—Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and 23 local lawmakers submitted themselves to a mandatory drug test Tuesday before the regular session started—and all of them tested negative for illegal drugs.
Duterte and his councilors submitted urine samples to the representatives of the Region XI Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) during the drug test at the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
Three councilors did not take the test.
According to council secretary Charito Santos, Councilor Mabel Acosta has been on official business since August, while Councilor Rene Elias Lopez was on domestic emergency leave.
On the other hand, Councilor January Duterte, wife of Vice Mayor Duterte, was in Manila for a medical checkup.
The vice mayor said those who were absent must find time to take the test.
“All present, including the vice mayor, tested negative for dangerous drugs,” PDEA XI Director Adzhar Albani said.
The vice mayor said he plans to take another test of hair or blood samples to prove that he is not a drug user.
He called on all councilors last week to take the drug test to show their support for the campaign of President Rodrigo Duterte against illegal drugs and ensure that no councilor was using or is involved in illegal and dangerous drugs.
Earlier, Vice Mayor Duterte said councilors who will be found positive for drug use will be penalized.