Close-up hand of man holding electronic cigarette and smoking. e-cigarettes, vape, vaping. STOCK IMAGE
MANILA, Philippines — Doctors and health advocates on Thursday renewed their call for President Rodrigo Duterte to veto the vape bill, describing it as his “last act” for the Filipino people as he is set to step down from office by noon on June 30.
“[As] his legacy to the Filipino people, last act na pwede niyang gawin is [to] veto the vape bill as it goes against the protection of the health of the Filipino People,” Dra. Maricar Limpin, executive director of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance-Philippines, said in a press conference.
(As his legacy to the Filipino people, the last act he can do is veto the vape bill as it goes against the protection of the health of the Filipino People.)
Limpin is also president of the Philippine College of Physicians.
“Itong vape bill na ‘to really goes against the mandate of the FDA wherein ibinigay ang mandato sa DTI,” she added.
(This vape bill really goes against the mandate of the FDA, wherein the mandate was given to the DTI.)
READ: SC upholds FDA’s regulatory power over tobacco products
Dr. Ulysses Dorotheo, the Executive Director of Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SETCA) and member of the Philippine Medical Association (PMA), also called for the veto of the vape bill.
“Dahil dito, tumatawag na naman po kami, ang PMA, at lahat ng medical societies, dumudulog po kami sa aming pangulo [Duterte] na i-veto po ang vape bill na nagpe-pending po sa kanyang opisina bago po siya bumaba sa pagkapangulo para po sa kalusugan ng lahat ng Pilipino,” he said.
(Because of this, together with the PMA and all the medical societies, we call on our president [Duterte] to veto the vape bill that is still pending in his office before he steps down as the president for the sake of the health of the Filipinos.)
READ: DepEd, doctors ask Duterte: Veto vape bill
According to Dra. Rizalina Gonzales, the Chairperson of the Philippine Pediatric Society Tobacco Control Advocacy Group, children are foremostly affected if the vape bill is enacted into law.
“Sa pagpapalit ng gobyerno, sana po iyong vape bill na nakabinbin ay i-veto kasi ang kabataan po natin ang talagang maapektuhan,” she said.
(Hopefully with the incoming new administration, the pending vape bill will be vetoed because the youth will be greatly affected.)
READ: Medical groups call for veto of proposed vape law
In April, the Department of Health (DOH) urged Duterte to veto the vape bill asserting that it puts the Filipino youth at risk.
Senator Pia Cayetano, on the other hand, said the vape bill is “masquerading” as a health bill.
Cayetano was among two senators who voted against the vape bill in the Senate.
“It was a bill masquerading as a health bill, it was never a health bill. It was a bill to promote the vape and smoking industry. That’s what it is, that’s the truth,” she said during Thursday’s presser.
READ: Pia Cayetano lauds SC ruling backing FDA’s regulatory power over tobacco products
Congress ratified the final version of the vape bill last January. The measure is still awaiting action from the outgoing President. – Iliana Padigos, INQUIRER.net trainee