House Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-list Representative Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan has strongly rejected a Senate proposal that would require the President to undergo annual drug testing, branding it as nothing more than “theatrics” and political “gimmicks.”
The proposal was filed by Senator Robinhood “Robin” Padilla just days after one of his staff members was linked to a marijuana controversy inside the Senate. Padilla is aligned with the Duterte bloc, a vocal critic of the current administration.
“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 in a statement on Tuesday, August 19.
The lawmaker stressed that his opposition is not about shielding any particular leader but about protecting the dignity of the presidency 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,” he added.
Citing the 1987 Constitution, Libanan pointed out that qualifications for the presidency are already clear and sufficient to ensure competence, judgment, and moral fitness. He warned that politicizing the presidency through such measures risks turning the Philippines into “a laughingstock before the international community.”
The Minority Leader urged lawmakers to shift their focus to more pressing concerns, saying, “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.”
