World · Philippines Bureau
Isabela Vice Mayor Tests Negative for Drugs After Remulla Challenge
Jeryll Harold Respicio underwent drug testing at a private hospital following Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla's public call for him to do so. The Isabela town official tested negative and is now demanding reimbursement for the P28,000 cost.
LSN Philippines ·
Isabela town Vice Mayor Jeryll Harold Respicio has tested negative for illegal drugs after undergoing a comprehensive screening at St. Luke's Medical Center-Quezon City, according to the results released Thursday. The test came at a cost of P28,000, which Respicio says he should not have to bear.
Remulla had publicly challenged Respicio to undergo drug testing following an outburst by the vice mayor during a local council session. The Interior Secretary's call put pressure on Respicio to prove his sobriety and fitness for office.
With the negative test result in hand, Respicio is now calling on Remulla to reimburse him for the examination costs. The vice mayor's position is that since the Interior Secretary initiated the demand for testing, responsibility for the expense should fall to the national official rather than himself.
The incident highlighted tensions between local and national government officials and raised questions about the protocols surrounding public demands for drug testing among elected officials in the Philippines.