Just last year, when Oplan Tokhang was first implemented throughout the country, 46,000 minors surrendered to the police, according to the PNP.
The alarming number of minors who use drugs have caused a concern for the Commission on Higher Education, or CHED, who are planning to make drug testing a requirement for incoming college students.
Reactions are mixed
According to CHED, mandatory drug testing for college students would help ensure that the incoming students are free from drugs.
However, some students have mixed reactions about CHED’s plans for mandatory drug testing. Some students feel that the CHED is justified when it comes to the mandatory drug testing, as the Philippines does have a big problem when it comes to drug addiction, and drug use, even among minors.
But other students feel that mandatory drug testing infringes on their privacy, and they worry about what’s going to happen to students who get a positive result during the drug testing.
Conditional enrolment for those who are positive
CHED is also studying conditional enrolment for students who get a positive result, as they still want students who tested positive for drugs to have the opportunity to study in college.
They plan on requiring the student to undergo treatment or rehabilitation, or delayed enrolment depending on the circumstances of the case. That way, students can be given the chance to turn their lives around and get rid of their addiction.
According to the agency, they are planning to push through with the mandatory drug testing by next year.
Source: news.abs-cbn.com
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