(NI BERNARD TAGUINOD)

IGINIIT ng isang mambabatas sa Mababang Kapulungan ng Kongreso ang “mandatory drug test” sa lahat ng mga guro, hindi lamang sa mga public school kundi sa mga private school.

Ginawa ni Samar Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento ang hiling dahil parami nang parami umano ang mga guro ang nasasangkot sa illegal drug gayong dapat sila ang maging huwaran sa mga kabataan na kanilang tinuturuan.

“This is very, very alarming. Even our schools are not being spared by these drug peddlers. Even worse is the fact that some of our teachers and even school officials are involved in the drug trade. We must assure our parents that despite all these horror stories, our schools are still safe and our children are properly protected,” ani Sarmiento.

Kabilang sa tinukoy ni Sarmiento na guro na nahuli umanong nagbebenta ng droga ay Arnulfo Abellars, ng  Danao 1 School, Tinambacan District sa  Calbayog City.

Sa Cebu City, aniya, isang 36-anyos na elementary school teacher na nakilalang si Neler Tagpuno ay nahuli din umanong nagbebenta ng droga sa mga undercover agents.

“Before that, a 49-year old public school teacher identified as Emerlito Addun was arrested in Solana, Cagayan, for drug pushing as well,” ayon pa kay Sarmiento.

“There is an increasing trend of teachers being arrested for their involvement in illegal drugs. It looks like our schools are deliberately being targeted by these drug syndicates. The case in Calbayog City, which is part of my district, is worse because the suspect is a school principal,” dagdag pa nito.

Dahil dito, kailangan na aniyang magkaroon ng mandatory drug test, hindi lamang sa mga elementary at high school teachers sa buong bansa kundi maging sa mga professors ng mga universities at kolehiyo upang masiguro na malinis ang mga ito sa ilegal na droga.