ROXAS SHRUGS OFF PHARMA LOBBY, PRO-GMA ATTACKS
MORE LIES SEEN AS LOBBY INTENSIFIES TO BLOCK CHEAP MEDS

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas today dismissed attacks on him by defenders of President Arroyo and the powerful multinational pharmaceutical lobby as part of efforts to derail efforts to bring down prices of essential medicines.

"Matagal na nilang sinusubukang pigilin ang Cheaper Medicines Law sa pamamagitan ng paninira sa akin. Para sa akin, gawin na nitong mga nagla-lobby laban sa murang gamot ang lahat, basta ipatupad lang ni Pangulong Arroyo ang programa para sa mura at abot kayang gamot (This lobby has been doing everything to derail the Cheaper Medicines Law. All their attacks are useless as long as the President implements our program for cheaper and affordable medicines)," said Roxas, the primary author of the Universally Accessible, Cheaper and Quality Medicines Law.

He said getting quality but affordable medicines within reach of millions of Filipinos will stop these noises, which started after Roxas exposed a secret meeting between President Arroyo and officials of the pharmaceutical industry who are blocking a proposed presidential executive order imposing maximum retail price on 22 medicines.

Roxas noted that during the bicameral debates on the Cheaper Medicines Law, he pushed direct presidential action on the imposition of maximum retail price on essential medicines when the Department of Health recommended it instead of a provision that passes on the job to a price regulatory board because he's impatient to see cheap quality medicines reach deserving Filipinos.

"Nag-aantay na nang matagal ang taumbayan para sa murang gamot pero ang gusto ng mga kakampi ni GMA ay dagdagan pa ang burukrasya imbes na pabilisin ang proseso ng pagbababa ng presyo ng gamot (The public is eagerly awaiting the arrival of cheap medicines but those who are defending GMA preferred to add another layer of bureaucracy that would have surely just prolong the process)," he said.