MANILA – The regular and mandatory drug testing for all public utility vehicles (PUV) drivers is vital to ensure road safety, Malacañang said on Tuesday.
“Dapat pong pag-aralan kasi ito po ay kailangan din po (It should be studied because it is also necessary),” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro told reporters in a press briefing.
This, after Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon on Monday announced that all PUV drivers will be required to undergo drug test every six months, as part of the stricter nationwide road safety plan.
Castro backed the latest directive, saying the move is necessary to prevent a repeat of deadly vehicular accidents in the country.
“Tandaan po natin, ang inaalagaan po dito, yung, yung safety ng commuters, passengers, ng mga tao na gumagamit po ng kalsada, including na rin po ‘yung mga driver (Let’s remember, what is being taken care of here is the safety of commuters, passengers, people using the roads, including drivers),” she said.
“Hindi po ito basta-basta maaaring sabihin na huwag na lang gawin kung ito naman po ay makakasama sa safety. Pag-aaralan pa po ito (We cannot simply ignore this especially if this is a threat to public safety. We will study this further).”
Castro hoped that the new policy would not be seen as a “money-making strategy.”
“Huwag naman po natin agad husgahan na ito ay isang money-making device or strategy (Let’s not immediately judge that this is a money-making device or strategy),” she said.
On Monday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. vowed to implement reforms in the country’s transport systems, in light of recent tragic vehicular accidents. (PNA)