A Facebook page published multiple posts announcing mandatory drug testing for all senior high school and college students for the academic year 2025-2026. This is fake.
On June 18, the FB page posted a graphic bearing logos of the Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education, claiming that the required drug tests will be implemented starting this June. It read:
“Announcement
All senior highschool and college students ay kaylangang mag pa DRUG TEST FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR 2025-2026
check Post for details”
Subsequent posts, published on June 19 and 20, claimed that principals, teachers and parents would be the first to be tested from June to July. Links to the schedules of the alleged drug tests and a claim that students will receive a P7,000 cash allowance following the procedure were included in the captions.
All links in the caption and comments section of the posts redirect to e-commerce sites.
These graphics are fake. There has been no announcement from either DepEd or CHED’s official websites or social media pages regarding drug testing for students this academic year.
Drug tests have been carried out in the past, but always at random following Section 36 Article III of the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. All students in secondary and tertiary schools are covered by the provision, but only those randomly selected are to be tested.
During the Duterte administration, DepEd and CHED respectively issued DO No. 40, s. 2017 and CMO No. 18, s. 2018 which reiterated that testing must be random, that parents are properly notified, and results should be kept confidential and cannot be used in any criminal proceeding or for disciplinary action.
Students who refuse to undergo random drug testing will be handled according to the school’s rules. However, refusal should not be presumed as drug use or dependency.
As of writing, there is no new policy or order from CHED or DepEd requiring that all students undergo drug testing.
The fake graphics began circulating two days after June 16 when classes in public schools officially started this academic year..
VERA Files has previously debunked posts from other fake pages posing as DepEd and CHED.
The false graphics posted by FB page Educational News and Updates (created on June 18, 2025 as DepEd News) have so far received 6,100 comments and 103,000 shares.
Editor’s note: This fact check was produced with the help of a journalism student of the University of the Philippines Diliman as part of their internship at VERA Files
