28 March, Manila – Philippine Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa drew sharp criticism from public health advocates for his participation at a recent turnover ceremony of mobile clinics by Philip Morris International (PMI) and its local affiliate Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corporation, jointly owned with the Lucio Tan Group. The event was hosted at Malacañang Palace by First Lady Liza Marcos, a long time supporter of PMI and user of its products. The donation was accepted by Sec. Rex Gatchalian of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on behalf of the government.
While condemning PMI for attempting to whitewash the many diseases and deaths caused by the tobacco industry, the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) also chastised the health secretary for engaging unnecessarily with the tobacco industry and endorsing PMI’s donation with his presence.
“This is brazen hypocrisy of the tobacco industry, which kills more than 8 million people, including 90,000 Filipinos, every year,” said Dr Ulysses Dorotheo, Executive Director of SEATCA. “The only socially responsible action for tobacco companies is to stop making and selling addictive and harmful products.”
“Furthermore, it is the duty of the Secretary of Health, the Secretary of Social Welfare, and the whole government to protect public health from health-harming industries and not to partner with them or pose and smile with the enemy. This shows that Sec. Herbosa is compromised as a public health official and therefore unfit for the presidency of the next World Health Assembly in May this year,“ added Dorotheo.
SEATCA said the issue centers on the Philippines’ commitment to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which the World Health Assembly adopted in 2003, which the Supreme Court affirmed as legally binding, and which mandates that governments safeguard public health policies from the influence of the tobacco industry. Based on the FCTC, the Civil Service Commission – Department of Health Joint Memorandum Circular 2010-01 (JMC) requires public officials to engage with the tobacco industry only when necessary for industry regulation and supervision. The JMC prohibits government officials from partnering with or providing or accepting benefits from the tobacco industry, aiming to prevent conflicts of interest and maintain policy integrity.
Healthcare services for tobacco-caused diseases cost Philippine society PHP 414 billion (US$ 7 billion) annually.
Contact Information:
Ms Val Bugnot, Media and Communications Manager, SEATCA
Email: val@seatca.org
Mobile: +63 917 312 4600
About SEATCA
SEATCA is a multi-sectoral non-governmental alliance promoting health and saving lives by assisting ASEAN countries to accelerate and effectively implement the tobacco control measures contained in the WHO FCTC. Acknowledged by governments, academic institutions, and civil society for its advancement of tobacco control in Southeast Asia, the WHO bestowed on SEATCA the World No Tobacco Day Award in 2004 and the WHO Director-General’s Special Recognition Award in 2014. SEATCA is an accredited ASEAN entity and an official Observer to the WHO FCTC Conference of Parties.