Ban beauty products from China, says lawmaker

MANILA, Philippines - Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone urged the government yesterday to ban the importation and sale of slimming, skin whitening and sex and energy-enhancing products from China, which may contain human flesh.

The lawmaker cited the British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) report that South Korean authorities seized at the Incheon airport some Chinese pills, which were found to contain human fetus.

“BBC also reported that an expert confirmed the Chinese belief that placenta boosts human energy,” he noted.

Evardone said since human flesh may pose some harmful effects, the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) should immediately ban Chinese sex and beauty products, which were mostly sold in Chinese stores and in the gray market.

Aside from BFAD, he also urged the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct raids and confiscate such products to ensure that they would not be sold.

Evardone added that the government should also inform the public of the harmful effects of these products.

Meanwhile, another lawmaker, Iloilo Rep. Jerry Treñas, disregarded the remote possibility that China might use force to resolve the standoff in Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.

“The Philippines is a soft target for China because they know pretty well that we are incapable of repelling even a token Chinese force,” he explained.