MANILA, Philippines—Anti-smoking advocates will gather on Monday at the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 59 to show their support for a landmark case filed against a tobacco firm.
Running priest Fr. Robert Reyes, the brother of the complainant, Vincent, said about 30 advocates will be there to express their solidarity for the P500,000 damage suit filed by Vincent against Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing Inc.
Reyes has flown in from Hong Kong to attend the 8:30 a.m. pretrial hearing at the sala of Judge Winlove Dumayas.
Vincent died of lung cancer at the age of 47, months after he filed the case in 2004.
In his complaint, he said the “barrage of television advertisements” enticed him to smoke when he was only 14 years old.
The damage suit is considered a landmark case as all other cases filed against tobacco companies in the Philippines were dismissed. Allison W. Lopez
