Does Raymund actually believe that Philip Morris was not in it for the promotion of its product? You know what is worse than being sanctimonious? Being stupid. Or being deceitful and then passing it off as…. cluelessness?

MANILA — International and national non-government organizations press for measures to arrest high prices of medicines and strict implementation of penalty provisions as they present to Health Undersecretary Alex Padilla today their proposal of the IRR of the Cheaper Medicines Bill.
The proposed IRR that also seeks transparency and clearer accountabilities of public officials and government [...]

Statement by Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
WASHINGTON, Aug 29, 2008 — For the second time in a month, Philip Morris International has had to withdraw sponsorship and promotion of a concert in a developing country after coming under international criticism for engaging in cigarette marketing that appeals to children.
This time, Philip [...]

The report provides powerful scientific evidence and guidance to governments around the world on how the tobacco industry uses and manipulates the media to encourage tobacco use and effective steps governments can take to protect the health of their citizens.

Health advocates led by the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
Alliance Philippines (FCAP) hailed as victory for the health sector
the pull-out of a tobacco company from the much-awaited Eraserheads
reunion concert this weekend.
Amidst this, FCAP lauded the Department of Health for standing firm in
its position against the involvement of Philip Morris Phils.
Manufacturing Inc. (PMPMI) in the concert.
[...]

The “GMO-free rice restaurants” campaign, launched Wednesday at Fish and Co. restaurant in Ortigas Center, aims to gather the commitment of restaurants around the country to serve only GMO-free rice.

To those who still entertain the idea that tobacco companies like Philip Morris are benevolent do-gooders (Heck, they’re bringing the Eraserheads back to life, even for just one night! How bad can these companies be?), check out this story. In it, lawmakers are basically going bonkers over how to deal with the tobacco company’s strong [...]

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 [...]

“Once again, Philip Morris International has been caught engaging in cigarette marketing that appeals to children in a developing country and that would not be tolerated in the United States and other wealthier nations,” says Matthew L. Myers, president of the US-based Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

“Today’s teenager is tomorrow’s potential regular customer, and the overwhelming majority of smokers first begin to smoke while in their teens…. It is during the teenage years that the initial brand choice is made.” — Philip Morris internal document, March 1981

I’m happy not because I may have been proven right (sort of) but because at least some eheads fans, it would seem to me, have been illuminated (or have conceded defeat in this debate) and are now singing a different tune about this whole event. They are now faced with the real possibility that the concert might not push through if the Department of Health, which issued the warning on Wednesday that Philip Morris was violating the Tobacco Regulation Act in sponsoring the concert, made good on its promise to sue the company.

Tobacco control advocates are asking the Filipino band Eraserheads to be good role models for the youth and reject the sponsorship by a cigarette manufacturer of its much-awaited reunion concert on Aug. 30 in Manila.

(The report below is from The International Tobacco-Control Network and was prepared by Ronald M. Davis, M.D. in 1998. Dr. David was the director of the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention of the Henry Ford Health System in the United States.)
CONTENTS
1. Background and author’s qualifications
2. How tobacco [...]

Philippine groups advocating for tobacco control are firming up activities in the coming weeks, several of which are targeted against a tobacco company for allegedly sponsoring the Eheads concert.

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, an international anti-smoking group, has likewise praised singer Alicia Keys for forcing ****** to withdrawal as sponsor of her concert in Indonesia.

They owe the public and their fans at least that. If they can’t, and there’s no logical or reasonable reason why they can’t, that would be irrefutable proof of their complicity in this deception. And there goes their legacy.

PRESS STATEMENT 26 July 2008
Contact Person: VG Benosa, PLCPD Media Advocacy Officer, Mobile 0918-2936786
A PRO-POOR SONA MUST INCLUDE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND POPULATION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
We challenge President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to take a stand and finally pronounce a clear and comprehensive national reproductive health and [...]

A health alliance today hits the use of a descriptors in cigarette packages, saying such mislead the public, especially the young people, in believing that a cigarette could be “mild” or “light” in its ill-effects on one’s health.
Dr Maricar Limpin of the tobacco control advocacy group Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance-Philippines (FCAP) in a [...]