PIA ON MILK CODE ORAL ARGUMENTS

"As a breastfeeding mother and advocate and Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, I support the initiative and effort of the DOH, World Health Organization and Unicef in enforcing and strengthening EO 51 and the campaign to promote breastfeeding.

"At issue in today's oral arguments before the Supreme Court is whether the revised implementing rules and regulations of the Milk Code, as drafted by the Department of Health (DOH), had exceeded the parameters set by the law on the marketing of breastmilk substitutes.

"It is a settled principle in law that the IRR must be consistent with the law it seeks to implement. It cannot add or subtract from the law's provisions, otherwise it would be effectively amending it, raising legal questions.

"Any amendment to a law is a congressional act and it is for this reason that I pushed for the enactment of the 'Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act' (Senate Bill No.2490) in the 13th Congress. This would have complemented the objectives of the Milk Code by establishing lactation stations in offices and public places where working mothers can express their milk. It also places additional safeguards against unethical practices by milk companies.

"SB 2490 was approved by the Senate but was unfortunately stuck on second reading at the House of Representatives, along with the Cheap Medicines Bill, as the House failed to muster a quorum in the last few days of session.

"I will be prioritizing this bill together with other measures seeking to strengthen EO 51 in the 14th Congress."