QuestionsQuestions (LTO ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 007-2003)
It cited Article III, Section 36 of Republic Act No. 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002), specifically the portion stating that drug test certificates issued by accredited drug testing centers shall be valid for one (1) year from the date of issue.
RA 9165 requires (1) a screening test to determine the positive result and the type of drug used, and (2) a confirmatory test to confirm a positive screening test.
Authorized drug testing may be done by any government forensic laboratories or by drug testing laboratories accredited and monitored by the Department of Health (DOH).
It amended Section V of Administrative Order No. BGC-AO-001 to provide that all drug test certificates issued by accredited drug testing centers shall be valid for one (1) year from the date of issue.
It implies that once issued, the drug test certificate (within its validity period) is usable beyond the initial purpose of the test, for other purposes as allowed by law or regulations.
It means that any prior LTO orders or memoranda that conflict with the amended rule on the one-year validity period are overridden by Administrative Order No. 007-2003.
The DOH is tasked to take steps in setting the price of drug tests with DOH-accredited drug testing centers.
Accredited and monitored laboratories are the ones recognized under RA 9165 as proper centers for authorized drug testing, helping safeguard the quality and reliability of results.
The screening test identifies potential positives and the type of drug, while the confirmatory test verifies a positive screening result to reduce error and ensure accuracy.
It may be considered invalid or not compliant with the regulatory requirement under RA 9165 as amended/implemented, potentially weakening or disqualifying reliance on the certificate for purposes requiring a valid certificate.
It was adopted on October 22, 2003.
It was signed by Anneli R. Lontoc (Assistant Secretary) and approved by Leandro R. Mendoza (Secretary).
It indicates that the earlier provision in BGC-AO-001 (specifically Section V) is modified by AO No. 007-2003, with the new rule being the controlling one.
Because many administrative processes require a currently valid drug test result; using an expired certificate can violate compliance rules tied to RA 9165 and the implementing administrative orders.