HOUSE leaders on Sunday called out acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte for demanding mandatory hair follicle drug testing for all elected officials, saying he should begin in his own city, where dozens of local government workers were caught last year using illegal drugs.
“Kung talagang seryoso si Mayor Baste sa laban kontra droga, unahin niya ang Davao. Sa ilalim ng kanyang pamamahala, 37 na ang nahuling gumagamit ng ipinagbabawal na gamot. Imbes na maghamon sa iba, ayusin mo muna ang sarili mong bakuran,” said Zambales 1st District Rep. Jay Khonghun.
The Davao City Anti-Drug Abuse Council earlier confirmed that 37 personnel from the city’s Public Safety and Security Office tested positive during random drug tests.
“You want to talk about accountability? Then lead by example. Drug testing should begin in Davao City, and the results should be made public. That includes the mayor himself,” Manila Rep. Joel Chua said.
The acting mayor issued his challenge during the “Basta Dabawenyo” podcast, demanding that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. publicly call for mandatory drug testing of all elected officials.
His remarks came in response to Philippine National Police chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III’s acceptance of his challenge for a boxing match.
Torre proposed to make it a charity boxing match, which Duterte mocked and used to push his own counter-challenge.
Khonghun said the fight against illegal drugs should not be treated as a gimmick.
“Ang laban kontra droga ay hindi palabas sa podcast. Hindi ito usapin ng yabangan o suntukan. Buhay ng tao ang nakataya rito,” he said.
Khonghun also took aim at the legacy of the previous administration, saying it failed to eliminate the very problems it vowed to destroy.
“Ginawa niyong modelo ang Davao sa kampanya kontra droga, pero mismong sa inyo, may mga empleyadong napatunayang gumagamit ng illegal na droga. Saan napunta ang sinasabi ninyong tagumpay?” he said.
The Duterte administration’s so-called war on drugs left a bloody legacy, with allegedly more than 30,000 people killed—many in alleged extrajudicial executions carried out by police or unidentified gunmen.
The campaign drew global condemnation and is now the basis of formal charges before the International Criminal Court, where former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is currently detained and facing trial for crimes against humanity in connection with the deadly crackdown.
Chua praised President Marcos for steering the government’s anti-drug campaign toward a more humane, evidence-based strategy focused on rehabilitation and institutional reform.
“President Bongbong Marcos is doing the hard work. He doesn’t need to shout or throw punches to get things done. His approach is saving lives, not just making headlines,” Chua said.
He challenged Baste Duterte to prove his sincerity by opening Davao City to full transparency and accountability.
“Before you throw challenges at the President, take responsibility for your own turf. Drug test your entire city government. Let’s see who passes. Anything less is just noise,” Chua said.
