Health chief slams lobbyists vs cheap drugs

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III slammed lobbyists against cheap medicines even as he lauded congressmen for passing House Bill 6035 on second reading last Feb. 20.

"That is a day of victory for our poor people because our leaders have stood up for their rights – the right to access low-priced quality essential medicines at a desperate time that they are being killed and further impoverished by many health conditions," he said.

The House of Representatives passed the bill on second reading but not before ejecting from the plenary hall two lawyers of the Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) who work for the multinational drug company Pfizer.

The two lawyers had passed a note to Makati City Rep. Teodoro Locsin asking Locsin to question the quorum and to call up Leo Wassmer, executive vice president and chief executive officer of PHAP using a mobile phone number written on the note.

Because of this, legislators are now contemplating banning lobbyists during sessions.

In a radio interview over dwIZ, Locsin said the note indicated that the alleged Pfizer agents "expressed desperation over the impending passage of the bill." Pfizer earlier sued the Philippine International Trading Corp. after the government sought to import cheaper versions of Pfizer’s drugs from India.

Locsin’s disclosure boosted earlier suspicions that multinational drug companies may be lobbying against the Affordable Medicine bill.

However, Pfizer said in a press statement that reports that it has been attempting to block the Affordable Medicine bill are "misleading and inaccurate."

The pharmaceutical firm also said it had only one representative present at the special session when the bill was under deliberation. – Sheila Crisostomo