BLOOMBERG MEDDLING ON PHL POLICIES BARED

A U.S.-based think tank has exposed Bloomberg Philanthropies’ repeated meddling in the affairs of low and middle-income countries (LMICs) that include the Philippines specifically on anti-tobacco policies.

Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) cited Bloomberg's Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) that held sway over anti-tobacco policies around the world. CTFK is funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the charity of financial billionaire Michael Bloomberg.

In the article titled on its CEI website "Exposed: Bloomberg’s Anti-Tobacco Meddling in Developing Countries", Michelle Minton disclosed the content of the 128-page document of CTFK 2017 strategy for LMICs with specific cases of how Bloomberg and CTFK pushed anti-tobacco strategies in LMICs.

In one instance involving the Philippines, the CTFK documents describe efforts “to file and push a smoke-free bill” aimed at blocking tobacco industry representatives from being part of the policy process, further noting that such a bill “has been drafted and will be filed as soon as the opportunity is ripe.”

"Taking advantage of the favorable political environment, we will promote the implementation of the EO after it is signed by the President. We will also prepare to file and push a smoke-free bill to amend the smoke-free provisions of RA 9211 and preventing the tobacco industry from being a part of government efforts to implement the policy. We will start advocating for higher tobacco taxes," the leaked document read in part, detailing CTFK’s specific intent.

The Nicotine Consumers Union of the Philippines (NCUP) and the Philippine E-cigarette Industry Association (PECIA) said the revelation made by CEI about the intrusion by Bloomberg Philanthropies in the Philippines and other countries should serve as a wake-up call to the government.

Recently, the House of Representatives conducted an investigation to determine whether the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued specific and pre-defined policies on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products in exchange for funding from The Union, which is funded by the anti-tobacco organization Bloomberg Initiative.

During one of the hearings, Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta Party List Representative Jericho Nograles revealed that several government agencies, including the FDA, Department of Health (DOH), Commission on Civil Service (CSC), Metro Manila Development Authority, have received a total of US$2.5M from The Union since 2009.

“There have been multiple instances wherein every time there is an anti-tobacco regulation that comes out of either the FDA or DOH, it coincides with grants coming from Bloomberg,” Nograles said.

One issuance in question is the controversial Joint Memorandum Circular 2010-01 by the DOH and the CSC, which was cited as the basis for a draft regulation barring tobacco companies and other industries access to COVID-19 vaccine thru the government tripartite agreement. The same circular was also cited as a basis in refusing acceptance of the much-needed respirators donated by the tobacco industry.

The JMC was signed by then-CSC chief and now DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III prohibiting government interaction with the tobacco industry.

No less than CSC Commissioner Aileen Lourdes Lizada had moved to recall what she described as a “defective” JMC. She noted that there was no record in the CSC that granted Duque authority to sign the JMC on behalf of the CSC which acts as a collegial body.

During the Senate hearing on National COVID-19 Vaccination Program, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon questioned Duque about the JMC and asked to have it reviewed by the Department of Justice.

Referring to the refusal of the donated respirators, Drilon told Duque that, “There is absolutely no basis for you to take this action. It is an overreach on the part of the DOH to reject such a donation simply because it came from a tobacco company. I do hope that this JMC is submitted and reviewed by DOJ,” Drilon said.

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