GMA ally blocks Cheap Meds Bill

**shadow** · December 14th, 2007 11:39 AM

mukhang malaki ang binigay ng mga multinational companies kay Cong Pablo Garcia of Cebu....mga cebuano magising na kayo at pls lang huwag niyo na iboto mga Garcias...

Cong Pablo Garcia is blocking the passage of cheap medical bill

GMA ally blocks Cheap Meds Bill
By Delon Porcalla
Friday, December 14, 2007 For more than four weeks now, a known ally of President Arroyo has successfully blocked – single-handedly – the passage of the Cheaper Medicine Act of 2007, which Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. vowed to pass on third and final reading before their Dec. 21 Christmas break.
Many lawmakers observed that Cebu Rep. Pablo Garcia has been a one-man wrecking crew against House Bill 2844. Garcia is suspected to be representing the interests of multinational firms whose multibillion-peso profits will be reduced once the bill is passed.
“He’s the only obstacle now. How can one man stop it (passage of the bill) when we have a quorum? It’s like all of us are collaborating to derail the passage of this bill,” a visibly piqued Makati Rep. Teddyboy Locsin told his colleagues in plenary Wednesday.
For the entire duration of the period of individual amendments, the 240-member House of Representatives always had a quorum. But this could do nothing to stop Garcia, a Kampi stalwart, from filibustering.
“Let us not humor the gentleman because we will all be seen by the public as delaying this bill. Let those who are against this bill vote against it,” Locsin said.
Garcia has insisted he has nothing against the measure and he only wants to scrutinize it.
“I feel I don’t deserve this comment. It says here (newspaper): ‘We can’t read him, we don’t know what he really wants,’” Garcia quoted a published report. “If they can’t read me, well, that’s their problem.”
Iloilo Rep. Ferjenel Biron, the main author of the bill, said he is puzzled by Garcia’s actions.
“Let’s put it this way, he (Garcia) is against the cheaper medicine bill because he considers it as unconstitutional. But why does he participate in amending the bill?” he said.
Due to the strong lobby of multinational companies, the House may pass the Cheaper Medicine bill but without the Drug Price Regulatory Board.
Biron said the waning interest of his colleagues may spell doom for the measure’s most salient feature, which may only make it a “toothless bill.”
“As I have said before, if we will pass this bill without the price regulatory board, then we should not pass it at all,” he said.
Biron also stressed that the 50-50 chance of the bill is actually an improvement compared to the 13th Congress, where the bill was killed due to lack of quorum.
He also said that the multibillion-peso lobby fund to kill the cheap medicine bill is finding its way to the House of Representatives.
“The lobby money is there and it’s trying to find its way to congress,” Biron said, after noting that those opposing the bill have begun using doctors in paid advertisement to express their strong opposition.
Biron also expressed disappointment over the supposed moves of some congressmen to derail the passage of the bill, including the delivery of privilege speech during deliberations on the bill.
Quezon City Rep. Mat Defensor, chairman of the House committee on justice, however said: “Every congressman has his right to express his opinion.” - With Perseus Echeminada

**areglo** · December 14th, 2007 03:41 PM

sabi ko na wala ring mangyayari dyan sa cheap medicine..

**Gumusut_Amige** · December 14th, 2007 04:15 PM

ano ba ang gustong palabasin ni tongressman garcia! laki talaga ang nagagawa ng pera, pati kapakanan ng nakakarami ay pwedeng ibenta... walang bagong balita basta pulitiko ang damay

**KSC** · December 14th, 2007 04:35 PM

ganid tong baboy nato.. ilang may sakit ang maagang mamamatay dahil sa kanya..

**Stoner** · December 14th, 2007 04:58 PM

Hm... I'm also a bit curious on why the headline had to read 'GMA ALLY blocks...'. Anong gusto rin palabasin ng Philippine Star?

Don't get me wrong here, I am not fond nor approve of GMA as a president, but I think the title of the article is very inappropriate.

It may have been intentionally worded to create sensationalism, but it can also (well, possibly) mislead some readers into thinking that the administration IS blocking the bill. AFAIK, a lot of pro-GMA solons approve of the bill, else you wouldn't hear the end of it from the opposition (they won't miss any golden opportunity to protest the anomalies within administration).

Just my two cents.

**creepy** · December 14th, 2007 06:17 PM

Originally Posted by Stoner

Hm... I'm also a bit curious on why the headline had to read 'GMA ALLY blocks...'. Anong gusto rin palabasin ng Philippine Star?

Don't get me wrong here, I am not fond nor approve of GMA as a president, but I think the title of the article is very inappropriate.

It may have been intentionally worded to create sensationalism, but it can also (well, possibly) mislead some readers into thinking that the administration IS blocking the bill. AFAIK, a lot of pro-GMA solons approve of the bill, else you wouldn't hear the end of it from the opposition (they won't miss any golden opportunity to protest the anomalies within administration).

Just my two cents.

Yep, I agree with this one. The Phil Star obviously wants to say something sensational...

Maybe the Star is trying to compete with the Inquirer on the low road of journalistic garbage.

**safeorigin** · December 14th, 2007 07:07 PM

nah, them big time news companies are the same these days. staying with the blame game theme. lol

**Asus700** · December 14th, 2007 09:00 PM

Originally Posted by bladerunner

there is a danger in cheap medicine. hindi yan gano mamonitor ng BFAD kasi mas lalo dadami ang importation nyan kung saan saan na lang.

plus there is also a danger na magpagawa na lang ng kahon ang unscrupulous bizmen tapos ilagay substandard cheap medicine.

the medicine should be closely monitored and regulated. ikaw ba gusto mo lalo madisgrasya ikaw o loved one mo bec. of cheap medicine.

the best thing about yun mga medicines na binebenta ng multinational companies, pag may nangyari sayo or a group of Filipinos, they have accountability.

so pls. pls. mr *shadow think.

the presence of the possibility of lack of monitoring should not deter us from supporting this bill. we cant just focus on the possible problems otherwise we will be frozen on doing nothing. im not saying that what you posted is not a valid concern, it is. but passing this bill is a good start, a good first move in bringing affordable medicine to the people.

its like the generic law, a lot of bruhaha also came out with it. but the whole idea is to give the public a choice. and this bill will give the public just that.

i think its time that the philippines pass this law. the cost of medicine is too high and this is one way of forcing the big companies to bring the cost of their medicine to a reasonable level.