Transcript of Sen. Pia Cayetano's statements Blue Ribbon Hearing - Dirty Ashtray Award
January 16, 2025
Transcript of Sen. Pia Cayetano's statements
Blue Ribbon Hearing - Dirty Ashtray Award
January 16, 2025
Opening Statement
Good morning, everyone. The third public hearing of the Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations (Blue Ribbon) on the issues surrounding the participation of the Philippine Delegation in the WHO FCTC COP10, which resulted in the Philippines' receiving its 5th Dirty Ashtray Award, is now called to order.
Let me proceed with an opening statement. This is really a recap of everything that we have discussed, because it's been a couple of months and maybe there are a few new faces here.
In our last hearing, we invited members of the Philippine delegation and other concerned stakeholders to shed light on the issues surrounding the country's participation in the COP10 and its receipt of the 5th Dirty Ashtray Award.
During the said hearing the following facts were established:
The vital role of DTI, DOH, and FDA in the full and proper implementation of the Vape Law.
The lack of testing capabilities of the DTI as a regulator, while the FDA has the necessary equipment and resources to ensure that the interest of health is being pushed forth.
As a background, this is more siguro for our viewers, the Vape Law states that it is DTI that will handle the safety requirement, including the health safety, which is something that I am totally against. It is something, which I feel is contradictory to the mandate of DTI. It is something I believe DTI does not have the confidence to execute. And from the hearings we've had - and let's see what's new today, like I said - they do not have the competence to ensure that the safety components of regulating the vapes can be complied with on the side of DTI.
It was also established that DTI can only test the device, battery, and chargers. So when they are talking about safety, they are talking about the device. Kung ito ba ay, makukuryente ka ba kapag hinawakan mo ito. It's like a gadget. That was established. But DTI does not have the capacity to test the consumables and refillables, especially the chemical content.
Per DTI, they do not have the following professionals, which the FDA had when they were in charge of testing, which they had and they still have: Pharmacists, nurses, engineers, toxicologists, globally harmonized system experts on classification and labeling of chemicals. There is also an expert panel composed of clinical toxicologists, pharmacologists, addiction specialists, and pediatric specialists, that DTI does not have.
The Philippine government, it was emphasized during the hearing, must take a stronger stance at the upcoming Conference of Parties (COP) 11 this coming November by excluding agencies that have ties to the tobacco industry, declaring any conflicts of interest, and prioritizing the protection of children and youth from all forms of tobacco use, as provided in WHO FCTC Article 5.3 - to protect public health policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry.
It was also established that the delegation must be headed by the DOH, the agency that advocates positions that promote public health interests and ensure that delegates fulfill obligations according to the FCTC.
For this hearing, updates on the testing mechanisms and regulatory measures currently in place to ensure compliance with quality and safety standards in the tobacco industry. We will get those updates. And then the current smoking prevalence in the country. And then the collection and utilization of sin taxes.
So the objective we have is to really ensure that our programs are aligned. Every government agency is looking in the same direction, is heading in the same direction. It is crucial to examine the existing strategies aimed to prevent smoking initiation among the youth, napaka importante yan, especially the most vulnerable sector, the youth and to support cessation efforts. Useless din kasi ang efforts natin. We are wasting public funds. It is the objective of the Blue Ribbon Committee to make sure that walang mga katiwalian ang government officials in connivance with private groups. Because if DOH is doing one thing, and then another agency is doing another thing, we are just wasting public funds. And this is a crime. So this is what we want to establish.
We must remain vigilant against the slimy tactics employed by the tobacco industry and their allies, who persistently work to undermine public health policies through misinformation, aggressive marketing, and lobbying efforts. That's why we try to invite all the agencies that are somehow involved and those that we can call upon because sometimes, you do not even know what work you are doing that is undermining the health policies. So we hope that through these hearings, a lot of people will be enlightened, particularly those who have decision-making tasks in government.
And to clarify, the reason why I have to specify these slimy tactics is because every government official here needs to understand that these tactics exist. They've existed for half a century since the tobacco industry started promoting their own interest, which goes against public health. And if you cannot recognize it, then we cannot protect public health. These tactics aim to delay regulation, create loopholes, and normalize the use of harmful products, jeopardizing the progress we have made in safeguarding our communities.
So that said, I will ask our Secretariat to give the oath for all those who are here for the first time.
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