Cheap Medicine

Port operators at the Manila International Port terminal are up in arms against what they described as the "interventionism" of the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group Task force led by Undersecretary Antonio "Bobby" Villar. These operators tag Villar's group as the "Presidential Abu Sayyaf Group". What's the real story behind this? Check it out at http://www.newphilrevolution.com.

Pharma companies are expected to slash the prices of their medicines by August 15. The real question is---where's the price slash on Novarsc, the drug being protected by Pfizer from a 50% price off? Yes, pharma companies agreed to reduce the prices of their 41 drugs in compliance with the Cheaper Medicines Act. However, they refused to lower their best selling drugs, those being used by so many Filipinos but barely afford to buy. That's a featured story in http://www.newphilrevolution.com. Check it out by today.

What would life be without Arroyo?

Honestly, I love Gloria Arroyo. Why? Because she gives me so many things to write. Example--this "tug of war" between the palace and these giant pharmaceutical companies. The DOH gave a list of 22 drugs that they think deserve a maximum retail price ceiling. Today, the pharmas came back with just 14 medicines. Question---will the real Gloria stand up and please state for the record if she'll damn them for this or just meekly bow her head in utter defeat?

Mrs. Arroyo immediately issued an EO to quelch a so-called coup. She immediately ordered state security agencies to pounce on the state's enemies. And she's very strict when it comes to the Muslims who just want their own land.

Now, this. She'll just sign an E.O. that would help countless of sick Filipinos and she's fidgeting? What for?

It's really all posturing for Gloria. Pfizer, that pharma company who tried to wiggle its way out of the rut they call Cheaper Medicines Law by offering suhol...err...sulit cards, is still out there. Gloria did not even charge Pfizer president Albert Mateo with attempted bribery. Talk about the anti-graft and corruption czarina.

Mateo should be fired from his job and charged criminally for that alleged bribery attempt. But, I think we'll just wait for the next administration to just do that. Coz the one we have right now, the one who told us that we need a Strong Republic, is really, a sissy.

Suhol Card?

Pfizer representative Angel(?) Pascual was interviewed over DZMM last night. Pascual did more harm than good. She revealed that the Sulit card was launched 2002 and has benefitted close to 1.9 million. Though she's a good speaker, Pascual however revealed too much info to be desired. First, she said that Pfizer is really not amenable to the Cheaper Medicines law which only shows that these current efforts to do a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) are geared towards undermining the implementation of the law. So, that Sulit card is really a "suhol card" (as described by Ted Failon) coached in marketingspeak. Why? They offered it last May. Although Pfizer wants to emphasize that the offer was made prior to the release of the 22 drugs which Duque wants to tag an MRP. Surely, the purpose of this discount card program is delimit the coverage of the law.

Pfizer is really on the forefront of efforts to undermine a Filipino law. And based on the tone of Pascual, it seems that the multinational giant really wants to impose their will, their desire upon us. Which is revolting to say the least.

Pfizer should be taught a lesson. Maybe a wide and expansive mass movement should do the trick.

Duque hero on Pfizer alleged bribe offer

The Cheaper Medicines Law is a classic example of how strong multinational lobbying muscle is. Prior to that July 8 meeting these pharma companies had with Arroyo, they first had a meeting with Executive secretary Eduardo Ermita. In that meeting, they discussed their apprehensions over the impending implementation of an Executive Order which would mandate a maximum retail price ceiling on at least 22 pharmaceutical products which the Department of Health submitted to Mrs. Arroyo. Remember that it was last June 8, 2008 that the Cheaper Medicines Law was signed by no less than Mrs. Arroyo and it took Malacanang a full year before they decided to implement it.

There is no law that bars multinationals or any other company from lobbying. And there are ethical rules on this. What is so worrisome, to say the least, is the brazenness that these pharma companies are showing.

Pfizer, for example, is too abrasive that it even claims that we're all wrong about the alleged bribery issue. Pfizer made a faux pas when it even stated in its statement that their Sulit card program was implemented a full year ago, at the time when the Cheaper Medicines Law was signed by Mrs. Arroyo. Why only now that it is being offered to the Department of Health (DoH)? If Pfizer indeed went ahead with this program with clean intentions, then, at the onset, they should have partnered up with the DoH.

What Pfizer and the rest of these giant pharmas want is to limit the coverage of the law by voluntarily giving discounts to just 5 million Filipinos. That is a veritable offer to present an alternative solution to the Cheaper Medicines law. The law states that everyone should benefit from lower priced medicines, not just 1.5 million GSIS members or 400,000 indigents under the Philhealth program (the coverage right now of the Sulit Card program). And granting that Pfizer indeed wants to expand the coverage of their sulit cards, 5 million is too small a number just to consider. Why not make it 40 million? And then, further increase it to 60 million then 80 million? Why settle just for 5 million?

These pharmas want to skirt the law and delimit it thru an Executive action. They were unsuccessful in Congress, they're now trying their best to do the lobbying inside Malacanang. And palace occupants are too happy to accommodate them, except Health secretary Francisco Duque.

Duque should be praised by the Filipino People for standing his ground against these multinational companies. Duque categorically stated that "50% price slash or we don't talk." That's the kind of toughness we need at this point. Duque has just shown how government can be effective against these vicious pharmaceutical companies who think that they can just throw their weight around. Of course, these pharmas will still try to lobby when Mrs. Arroyo goes to Washington this July 30, but it remains to be seen whether Mrs. Arroyo would ever compromise government policy over multinational interests.

Pfizer tries yet fails to wriggle out of "bribery" scam

Pfizer Philippines today denied that it tried to bribe government and considered it a "direct affront" to its corporate reputation when Senator Juan Ponce-Enrile described their offer as a "bribe."

( By the way, read The Huff on history of Pfizer's alleged moves to "bully" the Philippine government to protect its anti-hyperintensive drug Norvasc from price ceilings. Read this link. Pfizer pala sued government in 2006 and even used its ties with the US State department to pressure our government to succumb to its whims)

Pfizer explained that the alleged offer to provide 5 million Sulit Patient Care discount cards was actually a plan to partner up with the Department of Health. Pfizer says its sulit cards are being used by 1.8 "indigent" patients throughout the Philippines. Pfizer just thought it wise to expand the program to include an additional 5 million people. The offer daw was made last May, weeks before the release of the list of drugs with maximum retail price ceilings.

Crap. Bull. Pfizer is definitely not telling us the truth.

Look, Pfizer and their PR handlers probably surmised that we're all suckers. In fact, their statement opened a Pandora's box of questions. Tangekngek ang mga PR nitong Pfizer!

First, if Pfizer was really telling the truth that the offer was "genuinely for indigent patients", then, why did they not offer it to the Department of Health at the time they conceptualize it? Why did Pfizer entered into agreements first with GSIS and Philhealth before going to DOH? What's so special with employees of GSIS and of PhilHealth?

Second, if Pfizer really was on this "with clean hands and with clean intentions," then, why was the offer made months before it was launched? The timing is very suspicious to say the least.

Third, if their sulit card program is really "above-board", then why was it rejected outright by Health secretary Francisco Duque Jr.? Some say, Duque favors Wyeth kasi. But, I don't think that's right. Duque probably thought it wise not to succumb to the tempting P100 M. Good for Duque.

Pfizer will find it very, very hard to wiggle themselves out of this mess. One principle in effective crisis management is---admit the truth. Don't lie. Try to be very transparent. In this case, palpak na agad ang Pfizer.

And this is a challenge to Senators Mar Roxas and Juan Ponce-Enrile and even to Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo----HUWAG PALAMPASIN ANG GINAWANG ITO NG PFIZER PATI NG MGA PHARMA COMPANIES. I ADMIRE YOU GENTLEMEN. DON'T LET THE PUBLIC DOWN. IF THESE PHARMA COMPANIES ARE NOT PUNISHED DESPITE ENRILE'S ASSERTION THAT THEY TRIED TO BRIBE GOVERNMENT, THEN, I'M SORRY BUT I HAVE TO WRITE THE TRUTH. DO NOT COMPROMISE YOUR PRINCIPLES, HONORABLE SENATORS.

I CHALLENGE MRS. ARROYO TO ORDER THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TO FILE ATTEMPTED BRIBERY CASE AGAINST PFIZER AND OTHER PHARMA EXECUTIVES WHO WERE THERE LAST JULY 8, 2009. IF ARROYO IS REALLY HONEST IN HER ANTI-GRAFT CAMPAIGN, START WITH PFIZER.

PETER FAVILA SHOULD ALSO COME CLEAN AND REVOKE THE LICENSES AND REGISTRATION OF THESE PHARMA FIRMS, PARTICULARLY PFIZER. IF THEY DO THESE, I WILL STOP CRITICIZING THIS REGIME.

O, KAYA MO BA HA GLORIA?

Arroyo and Duque liable for not reporting Pfizer bribe offer?

Is Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo liable for not reporting the alleged bribery attempt made by Pfizer Philippines? Attempted bribery is punishable by prison major or about six years imprisonment. BY not reporting the alleged bribe, are Mrs. Arroyo, Francisco Duque and Peter Favila liable for a crime, since they failed to immediately report the incident to the authorities after it reportedly happened last July 8? That is what some lawyers think.

The offer was, by the way, NOT an indirect bribery since there was a concrete offer by Pfizer Philippines to deter the implementation of the Cheaper Medicines Law by proposing an alternative way of enforcing it, thru its Sulit Card Patient Care program, according to Senator Juan Ponce-Enrile.

Article 210 of the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines penalizes an attempted bribery. While Republic Act 6713 and RA 3019 are specific as to the conduct of public officers in relation to acts considered as bribery.

Now, the palace is trying to delude the public by re-defining the act of Pfizer. They are doing what we in the business calls "re-imagination" by proposing a new set of definitions. The act, however, satisfies the requisites of the law on bribery. It is NOT enough that the government thru Department of Health secretary Francisco Duque Jr. rejected the offer. The very fact that the offer was made already constituted a perfected crime of attempted bribery.

Duque may be held liable for this since he did not report the matter immediately to prosecutors or fiscals. If that July 8 meeting happened in Manila, Duque should have reported the alleged attempted bribery to the fiscal in Manila for proper disposition. Otherwise, Duque is probably liable for the crime of misfeasance for his inability to report what Senator Juan Ponce-Enrile considers a crime.

Oh, by the way, others including Trade secretary Peter Favila and Congressman Benny Abante are also liable since they did not report the alleged incident immediately after the commission of the reported bribery attempt by Pfizer, according to some lawyers.

With this, there's another reason to file an impeachment case against Mrs. Arroyo? Or, we just wait for Mrs. Arroyo to finish her term and file a case against her?