DETAINED Sen. Leila de Lima has sought “mandatory and unannounced” drug tests for both prisoners and their custodians to put a stop to the reported unabated drug abuse in penal institutions nationwide. The senator filed Senate Bill 1496 or the “Drug-Free Prisons Act of 2017” that seeks to conduct regular drug tests in all detention facilities nationwide, including the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) in Muntinlupa City. “Reports that our penal institutions are at the crux of the illegal drugs trade in the country are not new,” she added. A year after taking over, the current justice secretary (Vitaliano Aguirre 2nd) has admitted there has been a resurgence of the drug trade,” she said. “Once a detainee or prisoner tests positive for drug use, he shall be required to undergo a drug dependency examination and be transferred to a rehabilitation facility for detainees and prisoners who use illegal drugs,” De Lima said.

Source: Manila Times July 10, 2017 11:48 UTC