DOH: P1B tax money from Mighty could buy medicine for 70,000 Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health said that P1 billion in unpaid taxes could finance the maintenance medicines, laboratory tests and medical care of around 70,000 poor Filipinos who were at risk of diseases stemming from tobacco use and second-hand smoke.

Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial released this statement after the Bureau of Internal Revenue filed a P9.564-billion tax dodging case against tobacco firm Mighty Corp. for its alleged use of fake tax stamps.

Ubial said these companies kill not only through their products but also through their tax evasion because the money they owe is meant for drugs and services to prevent and control the diseases linked to smoking.

“Our initial calculations show that  P1 billion can be used to pay for  daily maintenance medicines, laboratory work and medical care for deadly diseases that are caused by tobacco use,” Ubial said, adding that 25 percent of Filipinos have high blood pressure and half of them don’t even know it.

Last week, BIR filed a tax evasion case against Mighty and its senior figures for allegedly violating sections 263 and 265 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1987.

The charges stemmed from the confiscation and seizure of Mighty cigarette packs with fake stamps worth P2 billion in its warehouses in Pampanga and General Santos City.

Ubial said there were 15 million smokers in the Philippines who puffed at home or in public spaces. This exposes more than half of women and children to second-hand smoke.

Money for prevention, early detection, maintenance

She said that the tax money to be collected from cigarette companies could be utilized to invest in the prevention and early detection of hypertension and the purchase of maintenance medications.

“We need to invest on prevention, early detection of hypertension, maintenance medications and enabling patients to live healthier. The money we get from tobacco taxes can be put to good use to prevent conditions caused by tobacco among the  poorest 70,000 adult Filipinos who are at risk,” the health secretary said.

Ubial said that the money could help prevent heart attacks and strokes, and poor Filipinos could not afford for maintenance medicines for these diseases.

“We are currently designing a program of care for patients at risk for heart attacks and strokes using electronic medical records for the poorest  20 million Filipinos who are the priority of the Duterte administration. We intend to provide more for those who have the less in life,” she said.