ROXAS TO GMA DEFENDERS: PUSH FOR MRP INSTEAD
STOP YOUR LIES ON WHAT I DID AND START TELLING TRUTH ON WHAT GMA DID

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas today asked defenders of President Arroyo to stop misrepresenting him and instead explain why they are defending Mrs. Arroyo for meeting officials of multinational pharmaceutical firms instead of signing an executive order that lowers prices of basic medicines.

"I did not agree to a price regulatory board because like other regulatory boards of government, it will be composed of people who will protect interests of the industries they are supposed to regulate. Look at the example of the ERB (Energy Regulatory Board), TRB (Toll Regulatory Board) and other boards," said Roxas, who is primary author of the Universally Accessible, Cheaper and Quality Medicines Law.

He said getting the price of the 22 most essential medicines cut down by 50 percent once they are included in the MRP list is more important than who gets the credit for putting the program into law.

"GMA and her men are making a big lie out of this price regulatory board because we caught them with their pants down while meeting with representatives of the pharma companies that oppose the Cheaper Medicines Act," he added