Senate probes ‘huge’ pro-tobacco PH delegation at WHO conference vs smoking in Panama

The Senate blue ribbon committee on Wednesday launched its investigation into the 34-man Philippine delegation in the recently-concluded 10th Conference of Parties (COP10) to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in Panama City early this month.

Senator Pia Cayetano, chairperson of the committee, explained that the Blue Ribbon panel is investigating this to evaluate if the government officials present at the conference did their job, considering that the Philippines was accorded with the "Dirty Ashtray" award for the fifth time over its statements inclined to favor the tobacco industry and hindered the agenda of the COP10.

"Ang Blue Ribbon, kailangan iniintindi niya kung ginagawa ng government officials ang trabaho nila. So kung ang Department of Health, trabaho nila ang kalusugan, ineexpect ko, sila ang mag-iintindi nun. So kung yung ibang government officials nakikialam doon, nanggugulo pa, kailangan ko din malaman yun dahil hindi na nila trabaho manggulo. And it becomes a crime if they are doing that," Cayetano said during her opening statement.

Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Hubert Guevara of the Office of the President, the head of the Philippine delegation, told the committee that he was also surprised by the number of delegates who were set to attend the COP10.

"According to [Department of Foreign Affairs] we're about 34...I was surprised," Guevara said, responding to Cayetano who pointed out that the Philippines had a larger delegation than China and Russia.

According to Guevara, the members of the delegation were already listed even before he came on board in late September.

"It's 34, I mean, wow! Ang dami tayong pera para magpadala ng delegation (We have a lot of money to send such a delegation)," Cayetano remarked.

Responding to the senator, Guevara said he also thought about the expenses in sending 34 delegates to the conference.

"When I heard there’s a huge number of participants, my first thought was the importance of COP10 and its reason we had to have all agencies involved in health, including the National Tobacco Association, to be a participant in COP10," Guevara said.

"I thought it was a regular thing to have a whole-of-nation, whole-of-government approach. But...after seeing the members, maybe, I could say, medyo exaggerated. We could’ve limited the number of delegation to...those who really matter most," he added.

In explaining the "Dirty Ashtray" award, Guevara apologized for the stand that was given at the COP10 as he explained that it is difficult to balance health concerns and the tobacco farmers' welfare.

"Mahirap po para sa akin ang pagbabalanse na aking ginawa para protektahan ang karapatan ng lahat ng tao sa pagkabuhay (It was a difficult  balancing act to protect the rights of people’s welfare). But if by protecting our state policy, the 30,000 or more families whose lives are dependent on tobacco farming, and the rest of our countrymen who are able to avail the benefits of our health care system funded by the excise taxes imposed on the sale of tobacco we are given the Dirty Ashtray Award, then I am willing to own it up as the head of the delegation," he said.

"I deeply apologize if this has brought embarrassment to you and to other countrymen who felt the same way," he added.

Still, Cayetano said this balanced policy did not even make the lives of the tobacco farmers better.

"For all of you who will pretend ignorance, who will feign ignorance, it is a tobacco lobby, because none of you, I have asked you, I have asked all of you, I've given you many times to answer my question, gumanda ba buhay ng ating mga magsasaka ang ating tobacco farmers dahil sa inyong balanced policy? Gumanda ba? Wala naman sumagot (Did the lives of our tobacco farmer improve because of your balanced policy? Did it improve? No one answered.)," Cayetano said.

"Nagkaroon ng Dirty Ashtray Award kasi nako-consider po itong delaying tactic, for your information lang po. Kaya ho tayo nabibigyan, and we've received it for five years, so favorite po tayo. Five years na tayong nakakatanggap ng ganun because of the tobacco lobby," she went on, pointing out that the COP10 is a health conference.—RF, GMA Integrated News