MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Red Cross “should come clean” if it received money from tobacco companies despite being discouraged from doing so, a group said Wednesday.
In a statement, the Rural Poor Institute for Land and Human Rights Services, Inc. (Rights, Inc.) said the Philippine Red Cross should publicly disclose whether or not it received funds or donations from the tobacco industry for past, present, and future aid programs.
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The anti-tobacco group made the statement after Sen. Richard Gordon, who is also Philippine Red Cross chairman and CEO, said in a speech Monday that he “had quarrels over how to use the money from the tobacco companies that they gave us.”
On Wednesday, Rights Inc. said: “Did the Philippine Red Cross receive money from tobacco companies? If so, how much and how often? That’s what we want to find out."
"After all, we at Rights Inc. are confident that the Philippine National Red Cross is aware that other Red Cross and Red Crescent societies around the world are discouraged from accepting funding from tobacco companies," it added.
Deliberations on 'sin' tax bill
Gordon, who heads the Senate blue ribbon committee, reportedly made the remarks during deliberations on a proposed law increasing taxes on tobacco, proceeds from which will be used to fund a government Universal Health Care program.
Gordon said he and a former undersecretary of health who is now the deputy secretary-general of the Red Cross “had quarrels over how to use the money from the tobacco companies who want to give us money."
Dr. Susan Mercado, who is now with the Red Cross, was with the Department of Health under secretaries Juan Flavier and Alberto Romualdez.
"And I said, 'I’m not going to advertise them but I’ll get the money.' The government is getting money from the cigarette companies why can’t we use it to help people out?' Gordon said. "I’m sure I’m wrong there but heck I’m being practical."
Gordon did not say when the Red Cross supposedly received the money from tobacco companies.
"Every year, the tobacco industry kills six million people, including 170,000 Filipinos. We hope that the [Philippine Red Cross], which was established and remains committed to save lives, is sensible enough to reject money from cigarette companies," Cynthia Esquillo, project manager for Rights Inc.'s tobacco industry interference program, said Wednesday.
Joint memorandum limits interaction with tobacco industry
"The senator should disclose fully his interactions with the tobacco industry. This disclosure should have been made when the Senate Ways and Means Committee of which he is a member deliberated several proposals on the tax hike of tobacco products," Esquillo said in a separate statement on Thursday.
She said that a joint memorandum of the Civil Service Commission and Department of Health (CSC-DOH JMC 2010-01) says government officials should interact with the tobacco industry "only when strictly necessary for the latter's effective regulation, supervision, or control."
She added the same joint memorandum holds that government officials "shall not solicit or accept directly or indirectly, any gift, gratuity, favor, entertainment, loan, or anything of monetary value in the cause of their official duties or in connection with any operation being regulated by, or any transaction which may be affected by the functions of this office from any person or business related to the tobacco industry."
'Non-engagement with tobacco companies'
Based on a June 2015 briefing document titled “Red Cross and Red Crescent non-engagement with tobacco companies,” Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies are “urged to neither engage in partnerships with nor accept funding from the tobacco industry."
Neither Gordon or the Philippine Red Cross responded to requests from Philstar.com for comment.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Tuesday confirmed President Rodrigo Duterte certified as urgent Senate Bill 2233, which seeks to increase excise taxes on cigarettes up to P60 per pack.
Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri told reporters yesterday there is a “90 percent chance” of the bill getting passed on Wednesday. — Ian Nicolas Cigaral