Another reason why drugs cost so much - Gotcha

What ever happened to government's promise to bring down prices of medicines? Health workers are asking the question since the issue turned out to be another case of ningas cogon. It caught fire last Nov. when the health department said it would again push for generic over branded drugs. But that was all. Filipinos still can't afford medicines for their acute illnesses. Poor folk don't bother to see their doctors anymore, knowing they'll just be prescribed drugs they can't buy anyway.

The finance department vowed to study tax relief for drugs. What ever happened to it -- forgotten when Jose Pardo took over as secretary?

Trade & Industry Sec. Mar Roxas said several weeks back he would look into other causes of high medicine prices, specifically manufacturing and distribution areas. This, after he discovered a virtual monopoly of two companies, one in drug-making, another in retailing. What happened to his investigation?

Roxas identified the manufacturing monopoly as a publicly-listed company controlled by Swiss interests. That company controls 90 percent of the tolling business -- a unique line in which it makes the branded or generic preparations of competing local and foreign drug firms. Industry sources say the figure even rose to 95 percent when multinational firms closed down their plants last year to concentrate only on marketing.

The company reportedly charges one of the highest tolling rates in Asia. Which is fine if it then pays huge taxes on profits from the business. But it turns out that the Swiss controllers find ways to make the profit picture look dismal -- in order to pass these on to marketing firms that they also control, and eventually to repatriate the earnings to Europe.

It's a web of deceit that the health, finance and trade departments should look into if they're serious about making medicines as cheap as in other ASEAN countries.

jueteng and masiao operators at the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. With PCSO chief Rosario Lopez, .

LAMP's old boys club appears to be at work again -- the same way it came into play to clear a presidential cousin of lobbying for textbook funds and to deflect flak from the Cabinet's use of smuggled luxury vans. Just that, while past efforts to get Malacanang out of scrapes were done through hurried "inquiries in aid of legislation," the strategy this time is not to inquire at all.

Zamora and Lopez's excuse for the meeting was research. They said they needed to learn more about how jueteng and masiao work, so they can apply it to the STL, which will set up a mini-hospital in each town.

Yet their story leaks with holes because of an administration bill and Estrada's frequent pronouncements to legalize jueteng and masiao. The policy that's taking shape is not to beat illegal gambling with STL, but to get vice lords to operate STL since they know the trade secrets.

Lopez had invited four police generals to the meeting and PNP chief Ping Lacson had cleared their attendance. The vice lords reportedly got Lopez to agree to give them 14 percent of the take. The rest of the "profit-sharing scheme": PCSO, five percent; town hall, five percent; PNP general headquarters, 2.5 percent; local police unit; 2.5 percent; operations, 6 percent. The remaining 65 percent will be for winnings.

The vice lords reportedly didn't budge from their 14-percent minimum. That's what they net from jueteng and masiao at present anyway, after paying cabos (bet collectors), and bribing police generals, civilian officials and a "Super National" syndicate.

Zamora claimed to have just walked into the meeting, not knowing it would be with vice lords. He added that he knows the nine -- identified by opposition congressmen as Bong Pineda, Romy Pamatmat, Armand Sanchez, Charing Magbuhos, Benito Singson, Romy Lahara, Tony Santos, Joe Lazaro, Ed Decaro -- to not having been charged in court before. That's easy for him to say. Police records show, however, that the nine had been raided and sued several times before, and that their names appear in the PNP order of battle against vice.

If Zamora didn't order the four generals to arrest the nine, it can only be an act of omission that his supposedly very Catholic partymates are willing to forego -- for their own eerie reasons.

INTERACTION. Manny Prieto, yahoo.com: Corruption, incompetence are ruining the economy. As a pessimist (Gotcha, 5 Apr. 2000), how much more time will I give Erap? I don't have to eat the whole egg to know it's rotten.

Nilo Orocio, NJ: Erap again said he's ready to correct himself and move against officials involved in scams. No mention of relatives and friends this time.

Victor Sumagaysay, marin.org: If Erap and his rah-rah boys jump for joy with survey ratings that stay at +5 for six months, we must pray that our leaders may have a little more intelligence and ability. It's like rejoicing over a stay of execution.

Benjie Alvarez, BF-Paranaque: Erap always asks for a little more time (Gotcha, 3 Apr. 2000). What for, to totally destroy the nation?

Dexter Meniola, hotmail.com: The ! Movement is too subtle with its protest actions. Noise barrages, stickers, speeches will not wake up the admin from intoxication. I suggest they start boycotting crony products and services.

Dexter, Benjie, Victor, Nilo, Manny, was Tito Guingona talking about you when he told Erap, "People no longer believe, they have lost faith, many even have lost hope"?

Dr. Benjamin Garcia-Azcue V, yahoo.com: It's disgusting for LAKAS to capitalize on Erap's travails, considering that it was in power not too long ago. I voted for Fred Lim, not for Erap, but the antics of the Aquino-Ramos-Sin bloc leave a bad taste in my mouth.

Thank you, Carol Porras, Dennis Navarro, Alvin Casuga, Aida Aguas, Roy Carbon, Nani of amanet.net.

YOUR BODY. Scientists have identified a new simple blood test that is more accurate at predicting heart attack risk than a cholesterol test.

The New England Journal of Medicine reports that the test measures c-reactive protein, an indicator of inflammation of the arteries.

YOUR COMPUTER. A new virus that erases hard drives and takes control of modems to dial a 911 emergency line is spreading in America. The U.S. government is warning emergency officials to check bogus 911 calls. It is unsure if the virus can spread around the world via the Internet, and haunt 911 lines in other countries.

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