Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 21) — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) wants to expand the government's war against illegal drugs to include school children.

PDEA Chief Director General Aaron Aquino is proposing to make it mandatory for students as young as 10 years old to take drug tests.

"Bakit Grade 4, bakit 10 years old? Based on our operation, yung bata na gumagamit ng illegal drugs is as early as 10 years old," he said on Thursday.

Aquino said they had one case where they arrested a 10-year old suspected drug user, adding it may just be an isolated case, but it's better to err on the side of caution.

"Definitely, meron mga estudyante dyan na gumagamit, at yung iba nagtutulak na hindi natin nadidiskubre pa," he said.

The PDEA Chief wants Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act amended to make school officials, teachers, and students undergo mandatory and surprise drug testing.

"Kasi sino yung suspek natin na gumagamit, 'yun pala mababait, tahimik lang, 'yun pala ang gumagamit, at 'yun din nagtutulak ng droga," he said.

If Congress approves this, Aquino wants the drug tests done in both public and private schools.

"Lalo na sa public school, nakakatakot sa public school, kahit sa primary, malaki ang chansa, alam mo mga kabataan talaga na, na gumagamit," he said.

While the proposal has yet to be tackled with the Department of Education, parents are already raising serious concerns, with some asking why put a 10-year-old child through a drug test.

The DepEd agreed that pushing through with the proposal would entail the amendment of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, which authorizes drug testing only for secondary and tertiary level students.

It added it also has an ongoing drug testing program, which started in School Year 2017-2018 and will be completed in SY 2018-2019.

"The program covers all 1,300 officers and personnel at the central office, 3,800 in the regional offices, and 26,000 in schools division offices. It also covers a sample population of all teachers, numbering 10,000, and a sample population of all secondary students, numbering 21,000," it said in a statement.

The Education department also warned against the possible cost of the operations, which would cover at least 14 million Grade 4 to Grade 12 students nationwide. With a testing fee of P200 per student, the budget will amount to P2.8 billion.

The DepEd maintained it will continue its mandate in integrating preventive drug education in the curriculum to raise awareness among students.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones will also request a meeting with Aquino to discuss the proposal.

Rights advocates also said the proposed mandatory drug testing could trample on children's basic rights and adversely impact their fragile, young minds.

"The right to privacy for one. The right to consent. They have to be informed why are they being tested like this," Commission on Human Rights Commissioner Gwen Pimentel said. "We have to be very conscious of not infringing on the rights of these children and there has to be safeguards and guidelines in doing so."

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque deferred to the Department of Education to comment on Aquino's proposal.

Aquino said, "Well kung hindi ia-accept ng DepEd yan, so be it. Bahala sila. 'Yun lang ang proposal ko, and sa tingin ko naman, I have the good intention kaya ko ginagawa yon," he said.

PDEA's intentions may be noble, but toying with the idea of imposing drug testing on kids, could do more harm than good, as some parents say.