Press Release
April 28, 2008

ROXAS CALLS ON HOR TO PASS MEDS BILL AS GIFT TO WORKERS ON LABOR DAY

Senator Mar Roxas called on members of the House of Representatives to unite behind the passage of the Affordable Medicines bill as the legislators' gift to the people on Labor Day.

"Pressures to defer the passage of this vital health bill are obviously coming from people with vested interests. Nakakahiya naman sa ating mga manggagawa na kung kailan malapit na ang Labor Day at malapit na ring ipasa ang bill, tsaka pipigilin ng Kongreso. Maaaring ang mga paninira laban sa medicines bill ang huling baraha ng mga nakikinabang sa mataas na presyo ng gamot (It's quite embarrassing for our workers to know that just when we are about to pass this measure on or before Labor Day, some members of Congress are now trying to block it. Attempts to discredit the bill are the last card of those who are profiting from the high costs of medicines)," Roxas said.

The senator said the passage of this bill would mean a lot for millions of Filipino workers who may be afflicted with various ailments due to work-related hazards and stress.

"We can't even promise them a wage hike on Labor Day. Why take this vital health law away from them? The House should not give in to the demands of a few members when a consensus had already been reached on the final version of the bill," he said.

Roxas said the fight for cheaper medicines has been going on for ten years. He recalled that when he was DTI Secretary, a multinational company brought him to court for importing cheaper medicines to be sold at government-owned barangay drug outlets.

The president of the Liberal Party said that this was the moment of truth for members of Congress. "We are already circulating the bicam report, and people can sign or not sign. Time is up, pass your papers. You're either going to help our people, or dribble this again. Remember what happened in the last Congress? The Senate had its version but the House did not pass theirs. Now we are ready, we're here, let's see what will happen," he said.

"The House and Senate have agreed, there may be a few who disagree, so let's ask them, why? Let's look at the two versions, what they want versus what's in the bill, and see the differences. There are no differences, or if at all, they are very, very minimal and are certainly not enough reason to stop the passage of the bill," Roxas explained.

Roxas also deplored attempts from some members of the House to discredit the bill by saying it is watered-down with the removal of the drug price regulatory board. He countered that the bill became even stronger because accountability now rests on the Secretary of Health and the President of the Philippines.

"Bakit gustong-gusto nila ang drug price board? Di ba iyon yung bagsakan ng mga natalo sa eleksyon, lahat ng mga kamag-anak ng mga malalakas at politiko? Para sa akin mabuti na may transparency, malinaw, na nasa isang tao ang responsibilidad. Ayon sa bicam report, ang kapangyarihan para magbigay ng price ceiling para sa gamot ay nasa kamay ng Secretary of Health at ng Pangulo (Why do they want a drug price board? Isn't a board usually where those who lost in the elections and relatives of powerful officials are appointed? I think there is greater transparency when that authority is given to a specific person. In our bicam report, the power to set price ceilings on medicines is given to the Secretary of Health and the President of the Philippines)," he stressed.

The senator from Capiz assured his colleagues that all the tools needed by the executive branch to help bring down the costs of medicines are already contained in the bill.

"The bill is multi-faceted. There will be parallel importation to improve competition. There will be 'no new use' and 'early working' provisions so that the domestic generics industry will be able to strengthen themselves and be more competitive. We will put more money in BFAD so that they can process all of the applications much faster. There will be a no-discrimination clause, so that the drugstores will be first to place these competing products on the shelves," he said.

"There is a reason why we have vested all of the powers to set prices and to impose penalties with the Secretary of Health and the President of the Republic of the Philippines. This is to ensure transparency and accountability which may not be possible with a drug price board," Roxas said.

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