The Immediate Need to Implement Random Inspections of Bags, Lockers in Schools


Back in June 2018, National Capital Region Police Office Chief Police Director Guillermo Eleazar proposed random bag and locker inspections in schools nationwide.

In an interview with GMA News, Eleazar said that he came up with the proposal after there were cases in the past that teachers have reported to them regarding elementary students who were caught with sachets of marijuana under their possession.

"The background is because there was a case. elementary students that were caught in possession of 20 or 30 sachets of marijuana na binebenta sa school at ginagamit pa nila so well that was the result of the inspection that was conducted by the teacher," he said.

But, a coalition of teachers has expressed opposition to the proposed random bag and locker inspection in schools. In an article on PTV, Quezon City Public School Teachers Association Vice President Ruby Ana Bernardo said that the inspections could create a traumatic experience on students because “they are treated as suspects instead of mere learners.”

F.G. Calderon High School principal Araceli Bondoc told PNA that students, being minors, are entitled to their own privacy and school heads have to be child-friendly and protect and safeguard them while in school.

After some sectors opposed the proposal made by National Capital Region Police Office Chief, Police Director Guillermo Eleazar it didn't materialize as DepEd also did not act on it.

The final decision on whether it should be implemented still lies with the Department of Education, Eleazar said, as he underscored that this was just his mere suggestion and not a policy.

But just a few days ago, two college students were arrested and some P1.5 million worth of party drugs were seized. Ecstasy tablets, cocaine, methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu and drug paraphernalia were confiscated from two students from De La Salle College of St. Benilde & De La Salle University.

After the recent arrest of two students and the 1.5M worth of party drugs were seized, Eleazar renewed his call to implement random inspection of bags, lockers in schools and I strongly agreed to his decision. We all must be proactive in solving the drug problem here in the country before it gets worse. There is an immediate need for it to be implented before it became too late.

The NCRPO Chief is doing his best in solving the criminality and we must also do our share. Let's not turn a blind eye if we see something's wrong.

I hope DepEd and CHED would re-assess their anti-drug campaigns and team-up with PNP so the young students will not be lured into trying those things.

Random random bag and locker inspections must be implemented immediately. I also agreed on ramdom drug testing to students nationwide. We'll feel safe this way. Those students and parents shouldn't be feel afraid with this proposal because if you are not doing anything bad or illegal why you shouldn't feel offended by the ramdom checking. After all, these will not be done by the police themselves but by the teachers with the help of school officials.

Are we just waiting for another “big news” before we act on it? Let's save our students before it's too late.  

JL Santiago Aquino

A millennial lifestyle blogger from Caloocan City who adores trying new things. ✨ Email: blog.ph7@gmail.com. Follow @JayL_Aquino on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok & Facebook.

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