The Department of Education is ready to carry out random drug testing for students of public schools in Bohol, said a local DepEd official.

Desiderio Deligero, chief of the Schools Governance and Operations Divison of DepEd Bohol, told the Chronicle they are now awaiting the guidelines for the implementation of the anti-drug program.

“We are now awaiting the go-signal from the DepEd’s head office,” said Deligero.

Public school principals and health officials in the province were trained last month in Cebu for the drug testing which will be randomly conducted on public elementary and high school students.

Officials of public schools have also been briefed on the implementation of the program which will also cover school faculty, Deligero said.

The plan on subjecting teachers to random drug testing has long been mulled but faced issues such as flak from human rights proponents.

Earlier, Deped Sec. Leonor Briones announced that the random drug testing will be implemented within the year to address issues on teachers and students who are involved in illegal drug activities.

Briones highlighted the program’s necessity as reports on drug users and peddlers in schools continued to surface.

On April 22 last year, Eladio Yagao Gonzaga, a grades 3 and 4 teacher of the Doria Elementary School, was arrested in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Calunasan Norte Loboc.

The operation was conducted near the said school. (Rey Tutas)