Senator Mar Roxas Asks PGMA to Attend Affordable Medicines Oversight Panel Probe — "Baka Nagkaroon ng Aregluhan ... Sabwatan" — "Makakarma Rin Sila!"

10 July 2009

TV Patrol tonight showed Senator Mar Roxas questioning President Arroyo's apparent "refusal to implement a vital provision of the law that reduces by half prices of 22 essential medicines."  

This is the press release from Senator Roxas straight from the Senate website:

Press Release
July 10, 2009

ROXAS ASKS GMA TO ATTEND OVERSIGHT PANEL PROBE 
RESIST PHARMA LOBBY VS CHEAP MEDS

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas today announced that he invited President Arroyo to attend and explain before the Quality Affordable Medicines Oversight Committee her refusal to implement a vital provision of the law that reduces by half prices of 22 essential medicines.

The President will also be asked to shed light into reports that pharmaceutical companies have brought their lobbying against the implementation of the Cheaper Medicines law on the doorsteps of Malacañang; particularly the provision on Maximum Retail Prices (MRP) of medicines.

"Ginang Pangulo, gawin niyo po ang inyong trabaho. Pirmahan niyo na po itong executive order" that would impose the MRP on, and slash by half the prices of, the country's top 22 prescribed but costly medicines, he said.

"Sa kadahilanan nga na nagkaroon ng miting dun sa Malakanyang at hindi natin alam kung ano ang napag-usapan�baka nagkaroon ng aregluhan, baka nagkaroon ng sabwatan kung ano na ang mangyayari dito sa batas�nagtakda tayo ng oversight committee hearing dito po sa pagpapatupad nitong batas," he also said.

The oversight committee had transmitted a notice of invitation to President Arroyo requesting her or her representative to attend to shed light on her alleged meeting with representatives of multinational drug companies held last July 8 in Malacañang.

He said: "Para malaman po natin ang katotohanan: paano nangyari itong miting na nito? Sino ang humingi nitong miting na ito? Kelan hiningi itong miting na ito at kelan pinag-bigyan, bakit nagkaroon agad ng schedule itong miting na ito? Makikita natin sa mga record. Malalaman natin ngayon kung ang gobyerno ba ay tumatayo para sa interest natin o tumatayo para sa interest nitong malalaking kumpanya na ito."

The Visayan senator had earlier lambasted what seems to be a conspiracy between the government and giant drug manufacturing firms to circumvent the implementation of the year-old law, which would bring relief to the public through easy access to cheaper but quality medicines.

Citing highly reliable sources, Roxas had exposed the "confidential meeting" and urged the Chief Executive to be wary of presidential advisers whose personal conflicts of interest might compromise her.

"Nanawagan ako sa Pangulo: Huwag po kayong makinig diyan. Nagla-lobby lang po ang mga iyan. Huwag po kayong makinig sa mga adviser ninyo, nagla-lobby lang po iyan. Panigan po ninyo, tayuan po ninyo, tindigan po ninyo, ang interest ng ating mga kababayan," he appealed to President Arroyo.

He vowed: "Hindi ko bibitiwan itong isyu na ito. Nasa batas na ito. Ang tagal na nating ipinaglaban ito. Ngayong nasa batas na ito, wala ng dahilan kung bakit hindi na mangyari ito kung hindi na lang iyong kagustuhan ng pangulo."

Senator Mar Roxas' parting shot, "Makakarma rin sila."