Networks should make drug testing mandatory, says Edu Manzano

EDU Manzano

ACTOR and politician Edu Manzano sees no problem about the prospect of President Duterte making public the names of celebrities in show biz who are involved in illegal drugs—provided, he stressed, that there’s supporting “hard evidence.”

“For me, it’s fine. If he must reveal, then reveal them. But, we have to make sure that the names on that list are verified. We can’t just rely on hearsay or claims,” he pointed out, weighing in on the matter in light of industry colleague Robin Padilla’s earlier suggestion that a dialogue be made between the stars and responsible government agencies.

Edu, who ran for senator in this year’s elections, added that authorities should be circumspect in naming such suspected stars, because “lots of young people look up to them.”

He likewise urged local television networks to look after and educate their wards about illegal drugs.

“The networks are in a position to identify who among their wards are doing something suspicious,” Edu told a group of reporters at a press conference for the new GMA 7 primetime series, “Someone to Watch Over Me.”

“Or they could add a provision to their actors’ contracts making drug testing mandatory,” said Edu, ex-president of the Actors Guild of the Philippines and former chair of the Optical Media Board.

Despite his failure to earn a spot in the Senate, Edu, 60, said he had already moved on and harbors no regrets.

He is currently focusing on his business ventures—four restaurants in Manila, and a fish farm in Batangas—and accepting occasional television projects, if his schedule permits.

Will his participation in “Someone”
—where he plays the father of TJ, Tom Rodriguez’s character who suffers from an early onset of Alzheimer’s disease
—signal a full-time comeback to the biz soon? Not quite, admitted Edu, who began lying low from acting since the early 2000s.

“I didn’t like the system, the [work] hours anymore. I got tired of it,” he said. “But I see that things are improving. So, if there’s an interesting role, and I can squeeze it in my other duties, I’ll take it.”

Meanwhile, asked about the much-talked-about romantic relationship of his son Luis Manzano with Jessy Mendiola, Edu said he’s not one to meddle in his children’s personal affairs. Not unless they seek his advice.

“If that’s the case, then I will help him any way I can. Otherwise, I don’t ask him. I won’t volunteer information or defend him in public,” he said. “He’s 35 years old!”