Against D.O. no. 40, S. 2017

Committee: Science and Technology Education Center

Topic: Random Drug Testing in Public and Private Secondary Schools

Country: Philippines

Delegate: Keith Sean Vitor, STEC SHS Representative

On the eighth of August, 2017, the Department of Education issued the DepEd Order no. 40, s. 2017, also known as the Guidelines for the Conduct of Random Drug Testing in Public and Private Secondary Schools. It requires mandatory drug testing of selected secondary school students through random sampling. Drugs and issues related to it are recognized more than ever because of our president Duterte’s vigour in his goal of eradicating every drug pusher and abuse in the country. However, this issue’s prevalence is not only limited to the working sectors of the community. There have been several reports of adolescents being caught with illegal substances. However, due to the possible errors in the tests, issues with confidentiality, and the actual effectiveness, Science and Technology Education Center – Senior High School would like to be excluded from the tests.

Errors in the tests can occur. The DepEd order explains that the test results and data will be gathered from urine samples handed in by the randomly selected students. Urine sampling is by far, one of the easiest tests to cheat.  Although the samples are kept in consistent temperatures to ensure integrity, the substances cannot be detected if the subject has abstained themselves from using drugs for at least a day prior to the test. Diluting the urine sample by consuming a lot of fluid before the test can also minimize the drug levels visible in the urine. Students can also ask for their fellow student’s sample to avoid the consequences of testing positive. If there is anything that these tests can encourage students to do, it would be devising new methods of evading actual results and rebellious acts.

Confidentiality is a great ethical issue that is often brought up especially in this “war on drugs”. As of July, there have been over 5000 casualties, comprising of people who have been alleged drug pushers and users. Duterte’s ‘Project Tukhang’, short for ‘tuktok’ (knock) and ‘hangyo’(persuade) has, unfortunately, become ‘TukSil’, the persuasion part changed to ‘pusil’, which means to shoot. Instead of giving the individual the right to defend themselves from the claim, they are immediately shot to death; the rate at how much this happens also increased when Duterte made several incentives for police officers who will be able to kill drug pushers and users. The dangers of possibly leaking the information from these tests can threaten students, especially when this information is in the wrong hands. Even though the DepEd Order promises that no information will be used against the child to accuse them of crime or felony, it cannot completely assure the parents and students themselves that they are safe from being a victim of ‘tuksil’.

The effectiveness of these tests is also subjective to each school and institution. There is no assurance that every school that conducts these tests will have lower reports of drug abuse in their vicinity. For schools that were able to gain something out of it, there is still the possibility that these students may or may not use illegal substances in the future.

The aim of this Department Order is helpful and it can provide the government with more subsequent information for the prevention of more drug pushers and users to peruse the streets. Sadly, there are factors that were not completely thought through. It may end up making the issue worse instead of providing solutions. An evaluation of each perspective that is engaged with this statute is required if at any time this would really be actualized.