DepEd: We don’t have technical expertise in handling drug tests
DepEd Central Visayas Director Juliet Jeruta says the education department does not have technical expertise to conduct drug testing among its student. CDND Photo / Irene Sino-Cruz
CEBU CITY, Philippines—The Department of Education in Central Visayas (DepEd-7) does not have technical expertise to conduct drug testing among its students.
Dr. Juliet Jeruta, regional director of DepEd-7, made this clarification after the police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) said that DepEd should handle the drug testing to students.
On Tuesday, May 21, PDEA-7 Information Officer Leia Albiar said that the education department should take charge on the drug testing for students since that school children have a different environment.
Albiar said the participation of their agency will only be limited to providing the drug testing kits and recording the results of the drug testing.
Under the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, high school and college students may be subjected to random drug testing as a form of deterrence against illegal drugs inside schools.
But Jeruta said that being educators, they can only do as far as organizing and facilitating the drug tests and not the actual collection itself.
Jeruta said the conduct of planned drug testing to high school students should be a collaborative effort of their department, PDEA and the Department of Health.
The two agencies, Jeruta said, are more technically able in taking charge of the random drug testing than DepEd. / celr
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