Anti-Tobacco Advocates’ Letter to DTI Asking Probe of Eraserheads Concert

August 7, 2008

Undersecretary Zenaida Cuison Maglaya
Department of Trade and Industry
Inter-Agency Committee-Tobacco
Makati City

Dear Madame,

Re: An Urgent Call for the IAC-T to Take Appropriate Legal and Enforcement Action regarding Philip Morris’ Sponsorship of the Eraserheads Reunion Concert Set on August 30, 2008, in violation of Sec. 26, RA 9211

I write to call your attention to a previous rumor making the rounds in the web but which has now been confirmed as true by no less than the President and CEO of tobacco industry giant Philip Morris International (PMI) – its sponsorship of the Eraserheads Reunion Concert slated on August 30, 2008.

The confirmation came in the heels of PMI’s sponsorship of the Alicia Key’s concert in Jakarta, Indonesia which generated a lot of publicity and adverse reactions from international and local health and tobacco advocates, prompting Alicia Keys herself to disassociate herself from PMI’s sponsorship.

In a follow-up letter dated July 28, 2008 by Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids to PMI President and CEO, Louis C. Camilleri, about this event, he made inquiries about PMI’s involvement in the Eraserhead’s concert in the Philippines, as follows:

“4) We have learned that the Alicia Keys concert is not an isolated incident. PMI is also involved in sponsoring or promoting an August 30 concert of the popular music group, Eraserheads, in the Philippines. Numerous Internet postings direct those seeking tickets to the concert to www.marlboro.ph, a web site of Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing, Inc. The online marketing of the concert has generated enormous publicity for Marlboro in the Philippines. On July 23, 2008, The Manila Times reported that the concert is being sponsored by a tobacco company, and numerous web reports have indicated that company may be Philip Morris International. Will you describe the nature of Philip Morris International’s involvement with this event, withdraw any such involvement and remove all materials associating PMI and its products with the concert?” (Emphases supplied).

To these questions, Mr. Camilleri, on July 30, 2008, acknowledged in writing that there will definitely be such a concert by the Eraserheads, and PMI was very much involved. Thus:

“With regard to the Philippines, please be advised that the promotional event you refer to is an invitation-only event, not open to the general public. It is restricted to our trade partners and to adult smokers who can obtain an invitation by registering on our adult-only access website, where they must provide proof of age through a government issued ID. Invitations cannot be purchased and are not transferable. Controls will be in place at all entry points to the event to ensure that only persons with invitations are allowed to enter and to verify that they are adults by double checking their government issued ID.”

While admitting its involvement in the concert, PMI sought to gloss over any likely illegality which may arise from its sponsorship of the event by calling it a “promotional event” not open to the general public but restricted to trade partners and adult smokers who have to “obtain” an invitation by “registering” in PMI’s website.

R.A. 9211 has already imposed a total ban on tobacco sponsorships starting July 1, 2008, as follows:

“Sec. 26. Ban on Sponsorships.- Beginning July 1, 2008, cigarette and tobacco companies are hereby prohibited from sponsoring any sport, concert, cultural or art event, as well as individual and team athletes, artists or performers where such sponsorship shall require or involve the advertisement or promotion of any cigarette or tobacco company, tobacco product or tobacco use, name, logo or trademarks and other words, symbols, designs, colors or other depictions commonly associated with or likely to identify a tobacco product…” (emphases supplied).