Press Release
June 8, 2008

ROXAS: "NOT ONE COMMA TO WEAKEN AFFORDABLE MEDS LAW IRR" TRANSPARENCY NEEDED TO THWART LOBBY TO WEAKEN IRR

Senator Mar Roxas called on the Department of Health to make sure that "not one comma" will be inserted in the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) that would weaken the effect of the newly-signed Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act, or Republi Act No. 9502.

"Babantayan natin ang pagbuo ng IRR, at sisiguruhin natin na ni isang comma o isang salita ang makakapasok diyan na magpapalusaw sa bisa ng batas (We'll watch over the IRR crafting process and make sure that not one comma or word that would weaken the law will be inserted)," he said.

"The signing of the law ends the lawmaking process for this bill and marks the start of a new battlefield: implementation. And we expect that those whose interest is to maintain the status quo of exorbitantly-priced medicines will pull all the stops to make sure we do not achieve our intentions," he added.

Roxas, primary author of the newly-signed law, said the government agencies which are tasked to craft the law's IRR--the Departments of Health and Trade and Industry, in particular--would have to consult the different stakeholders to ensure transparency and cooperation.

"Dapat lang na yung mga department na magpapatupad ng batas ang siyang gagawa ng IRR, dahil sila ang nakakaalam ng mga detalye (The departments tasked to implement the law should do the IRR because they're the most knowledgeable about the details)," he said.

"But this must be done consultation with all stakeholder groups that have long been fighting for this law. This will deter attempts of any lobby group to weaken the law through the IRR," he said. He noted that the law also says that the IRR must be done in consultation with Congress.

"Greater competition in the free market will help bring down the prices of medicines. We must do our best to inform the people of the next steps involved and the structural reforms that need to take place so that the benefits of this new law can be finally felt by all Filipinos ," he stressed.

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