For 5th time, Philippines gets ‘Dirty Ashtray’ award

MANILA, Philippines — For the fifth time, the Philippines has received the “Dirty Ashtray” award for “blocking” global tobacco control efforts.

The Dirty Ashtray award was given to the Philippine delegation on Saturday for “its brazen use of tobacco industry tactics to dispute and delay throughout COP10.”

“As a Filipino, I am ashamed that the Philippines was given its fifth Dirty Ashtray. I expect government officials participating in a global health treaty conference to promote public health interests, but the Philippine delegation demonstrated to the world that it is a willing mouthpiece of a harmful and duplicitous industry,” said Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance executive director Ulysses Dorotheo.

Former health secretary Alexander Padilla said it is alarming that the country received another Dirty Ashtray award.

Former health secretary Esperanza Cabral said the Philippine delegation should take the dishonor as a wake-up call.

Civil society watchdog Global Alliance for Tobacco Control handed the award during the last day of COP10 or the 10th session of the Conference of Parties to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).

The Philippines sent the largest government delegation to the COP10, with 30 officials in attendance.