Eastern Visayas Media Without Borders
Tacloban City–House Minority Leader Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan on Tuesday urged lawmakers to uphold the dignity of the Office of the President, rejecting proposals to compel the country’s highest leader to undergo mandatory drug testing.
Libanan made the appeal after Senator Robin Padilla filed a bill seeking annual drug tests for the President and other government officials—a proposal lodged just days after one of Padilla’s own staff members was embroiled in a marijuana controversy inside the Senate.
“The timing speaks volumes. Instead of cleaning up his own backyard, somebody is trying to deflect attention by dragging the Office of the President into a spectacle. The presidency is not a stage for gimmicks or stunts,” Libanan said.
Libanan stressed that his opposition is not about shielding any individual, but about safeguarding the institution itself.
“Whoever sits as President—past, present, or future—must be spared from the indignity of being forced to undergo a drug test. To subject the presidency to such procedures diminishes not just the occupant but the very office itself,” Libanan declared.
The Minority Leader reminded that the Constitution already sets clear qualifications for the presidency, ensuring that only those with proven competence, judgment, and moral fitness can hold the post.
“Our democratic institutions, particularly Congress, must preserve the dignity of the presidency regardless of who occupies it. Undermining that dignity weakens public trust and destabilizes the system we are sworn to protect,” he said.
Libanan warned against trivializing the presidency, saying it could make the Philippines “a laughingstock before the international community.”
He further urged lawmakers to focus on pressing national concerns.
“Let us not waste time on distractions. We should be fixing the economy, lowering the cost of living, creating jobs, and protecting our communities from floods and disasters. These are the issues that truly demand leadership—not hollow theatrics,” Libanan concluded.
