By Filane Mikee Cervantes (PNA)
MANILA — A measure seeking to regulate the use of performance enhancing drugs in sports has been filed at the House of Representatives.
Antipolo City Rep. Cristina Roa-Puno filed on Thursday House Bill 8544, otherwise known as the “Anti-Doping in Sports Act.” A copy of the bill was sent to House media on Friday.
In her explanatory note, Roa-Puno said doping in sports poses an “unfair advantage” in competitions, as well as “extreme danger” to the health of the athletes.
She stressed the need to adopt an anti-doping policy in compliance with the principles of fairness, equity, legality, and transparency in sporting activities and promoting the health of athletes globally, including athletes’ fundamental rights to participate in a doping-free sport.
She also noted that the problem of doping in sports must be addressed to ensure the country’s full participation in the next Olympics in less than two years.
The lawmaker cited as an example the suspension of Gilas Pilipinas’ Kiefer Ravena, which raised the possibility of an athlete unknowingly ingesting World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-prohibited substances.
Ravena claimed that the culprit was the pre-workout drink named “DUST”, which contained ingredients included on WADA’s list of prohibited substances.
“When we think about doping, we immediately think drugs, but substances banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) can also be found in dietary supplements and may even be in grocery and food items found in health food stores and online. This is why it is important that we act fast and safeguard our athletes from these banned substances,” Roa-Puno said.
The bill seeks to establish the Philippine National Anti-Doping Organization (PH-NADO), an independent body with the sole responsibility of carrying out anti-doping activities in the Philippines.
This organization will work towards combating and preventing doping in all international and national-level sports; testing for prohibited substances and methods, and stipulating penalties and sanctions for its violations.
