Doctors from at least 30 medical societies threatened Friday to boycott and even campaign against lawmakers who block the increase in so-called sin taxes on cigarettes to raise funds for the Universal Health Care program.
At a meeting in Quezon City, the health advocates led by PhilHealth Director Anthony Leachon and Antonio Dans of the National Academy of Science and Technology said the doctors would advise patients not to vote for lawmakers seeking reelection who object to raising taxes on cigarettes.
In a press conference, Leachon said such lawmakers could lose a “conservative estimate” of five million to six-million votes in the mid-term elections.
Leachon said if the bill to raise sin taxes is not passed before Jan. 17 when Congress adjourns, it would be back to square one for efforts to fund the UHC.
Dans said that while PhilHealth, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office would provide funding for the first two years of the UHC, the program would need funding for the succeeding years.
For its first year of implementation, UHC would need P257 billion, and for the second year, P271 billion.
He also dismissed claims by tobacco companies that the imposition of sin taxes failed to lower the incidence of smoking, increased cases of smuggling of cigarettes and prejudiced the income of tobacco farmers.
Senator JV Ejercito, principal author, and sponsor of UHC, admitted that strong lobbying from tobacco companies has succeeded in watering down sin taxes.
He also cited the presence of congressmen from tobacco-producing provinces who are exerting efforts to stall an increase in cigarette taxes.
“The real battleground in this issue is not the Senate but in the House,” Ejercito said.
Ejercito’s measure sought to raise the sin tax to P90 per pack of cigarettes, while Senator Manny Pacquiao supported a P60 tax per pack.
The House version of the sin tax reform bill, which was passed on third and final reading, imposed an additional tax of only P2.50 on every pack of cigarettes.
Leachon admitted they shot high by seeking P90 per pack so they would have room top haggle.
“While we are asking for the moon, they might give us the stars so that P60 per pack of cigarette would do,” Leachon said.
Ejercito, chairman of the Senate committee on health and demography, said time was running out on the bill.
“We want to hit two birds with one serious honest-to-goodness health measure though we don’t have the luxury of time since we only have nine session days left before the break,” he said.
He underscored the importance of ensuring the sustainability of the UHC.
