The Crocs in Congress defending those involved in the Pharmally scam

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

These crocs in Congress are evil allies of the Duterte administration. They intentionally refuse to see the wrong just to protect Duterte and his minions.

We are grateful to the Senate for their courage to do a real investigation unlike this moro moro in Congress.

Nakakahiya itong mga supposedly representatives for trying to insult the intelligence of the Filipino people.

"Rep. Aglipay is shooting himself in the foot here. This is what you become if you keep on defending the indefensible, if you keep on peddling lies in the name of political convenience. Mawalang galang na po sir, pero sa katatanggol nyo sa tiwali, nalulubog kayo sa pusali. Keep in mind that power is not forever. 

Himayin natin yung logic ng assumption nya ha.

Aglipay: "If face shield were expired, did anyone die?"

For context: Umamin na kasi ang Pharmally na pinalitan nila ang expiration dates ng mga faceshield na sinupply sa gobyerno at ipapagamit sa mga health care workers. Kaya hirit ni DIWA Partylist Rep. Aglipay, "wala namang namatay."

Maling mali ang lohika nito. Kayo halimbawa ang turukan ng expired na bakuna, pero hindi kayo namatay, walang problema? The fact na inilapit kayo sa potensyal na kapahamakan, it is already a crime, namatay ka man  o hindi. Nasaktan ka man o hindi. Hindi na nga dapat pinagtatalunan yan eh. And don't tell me na flawed ang analogy ko dahil magkaiba ang levels of risk ng bakuna at faceshield, because the same logic applies. Mandato ng gobyerno na ibigay ang pinakamahusay at pinakaligtas na medical equipment para sa ating mga frontliner na isinusubo ang buhay sa ngalan ng propesyon. Kung ang PNP kaya ang bigyan ng mga baril na nagmamalfunction sa gitna ng putukan? Would Aglipay also argue na "eh ano kung supot ang mga baril, may namatay ba?"

Balik tayo sa expired na face shields. So what now? Magpasalamat pa ba dapat ang mga health care workers dahil hindi nila kinamatay ang mga expired na faceshield? Trabaho ng mga kongresista na kumatawan sa interes ng publiko at hindi ang mag-abugado sa mga pribadong kumpanya na sinungaling at magnanakaw!

Wala bang namatay?

Heto ang totoong nakamamatay:

Government's neglect. Culture of impunity. Institutionalized corruption. Blind loyalty."

Ex-DOH Chiefs to Senate: Junk Vape Bill

 

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The bill is a ‘huge step back’ for public health, say former health secretaries

 

Seven former health secretaries joined calls of medical professionals for the Senate to junk the Vape Bill, which seeks to roll back regulations on the sale, manufacture, and marketing of vapes and e-cigarettes in the country. 

 

“The Vape Bill is a huge step back in protecting Filipinos’ health. It is a danger, especially in a pandemic,” according to former health secretaries Dr. Alfredo Bengzon, Dr. Esperanza Cabral, Dr. Manuel Dayrit, Dr. Enrique Ona, Dr. Carmencita Reodica, Dr. Paulyn Ubial, and Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan. “We call on the Senate to junk this bill in its current form,” the former secretaries added.

 

Vapes and e-cigarettes are common names for electronic nicotine and non-nicotine delivery systems (ENDS/ENNDS) and heated tobacco products (HTPs), which are covered by Vape Bill or the proposed Vaporized Nicotine Products Regulation Act (SBN 2239), authored by Sen. Ralph Recto.

 

The former health secretaries noted that the Vape Bill relaxes the provisions of RA 11467, an existing law that strictly regulates the said products. The bill lowers the age of access to vapes and e-cigarettes from 21 to 18, and transfers regulatory jurisdiction from the Food and Drug Administration to the Department of Trade and Industry. The bill also reverses a ban on flavors (except menthol and tobacco) and allows sales online.

 

“By lowering the age of access from 21 to 18, the Vape Bill exposes more of our youth, those who are still in senior high or about to enter college, to HTPs and e-cigarettes,” said Galvez-Tan. “Why are we exposing them to this risk when under our laws, we are already protecting them?” he asked.

 

“Our senators should listen to our health experts at this crucial time. The medical community already explained that nicotine exposure at a young age impairs maximum development of the brain, making the youth vulnerable to engaging in harmful habits that are hard to break,” Reodica added. 

 

Meanwhile, Ubial said that “data on the use of vapes and e-cigarettes among the youth show that we should be strengthening, and not relaxing our policies on these products.”

 

Ubial cited the results of the 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), which show that 1 in 7 Filipino students aged 13 to 15 use e-cigarettes. The GYTS also shows that 1 in 8 Filipino students aged 13 to 15 currently use tobacco products.

 

“If our Senators pass this Vape Bill, it shows that they are gambling with the lives of our youth and children, and would rather prioritize the interests of the vape and tobacco industry rather than the health of our people during a pandemic,” Ubial said.

 

Dayrit also hit the bill’s reversal of the ban on flavors. “Allowing more flavors for these harmful products does not make sense,” he said. “There are around 16,000 vape and e-cigarette flavors on the market right now, and we know children and youth are more attracted to flavors,” he said. ““Regulations should aim to make these harmful products less appealing, not more enticing.”

 

Bengzon added: “If the industry is sincere in promoting these products as supposed ‘cessation tools’ for smoking, then why do the provisions of the Vape Bill treat these products as normal consumer products? Why not treat these the same way as other cessation tools, treated as medical and pharmaceutical products  under the jurisdiction of the FDA?”

 

“The best way to curb smoking is still to quit, not shift,” said Ona. Echoing the calls of medical groups, Ona stressed that smokers should not replace one addiction with another addiction, especially in the context of COVID-19. “Let’s not forget that the first case of EVALI (e-cigarette and vape associated lung injury) was already reported in the Philippines. Passing the Vape Bill will only increase our public health burdens,” he said.

 

“We do not need a harmful Vape Bill to be passed in a pandemic,” added Cabral. “We do not need this Bill. We urge our Senators to junk this Vape Bill and prioritize other far more urgent health measures.”

 

Opposition to the Vape Bill continues to intensify as doctors, health professionals, youth, and law groups continue to make calls to junk the Vape Bill while deliberations are ongoing. Youth organizations and student councils have voiced out strong opposition against the bill, stating that the bill is anti-youth, anti-health, and pro-industry.

1st PH Film Industry Screens Elwood Perez Retrospective Online

Wazzup Pilipinas!?


As tribute to his 50-year legacy in the filmmaking industry, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP)’s Philippine Film Archive (PFA) showcases free screenings of nine (9) films from the seminal works of Elwood “El Maestro” Perez on the FDCP Channel from September 25 to 30.

PFA’s “50 Years / 50 Films: An Elwood Perez Film Retrospective” features Perez’s “Isang Gabi… Tatlong Babae!,” “Inday Garutay,” “Masarap, Masakit ang Umibig,” “Nakawin Natin ang Bawa’t Sandali,” “Stepsisters,” “Ibulong Mo Sa Diyos,” “Bilangin Ang Bituin Sa Langit,” “Otso,” and “Esoterika: Manila.”

Perez, a two-time Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) Awards Best Director and three-time Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) Best Director, directed his first feature film “Blue Boy” in 1970. Among the famous celebrities he has worked with are Star For All Seasons Vilma Santos-Recto, Philippine Cinema's “Superstar” Nora Aunor, and the the reigned “Sex Goddess of Philippine Movies” in the '70s and '80s, Alma Moreno.

Nestor Cuartero of the Society of Philippine Entertainment Editors (SPEEd) expressed the significance of the retrospective: “The Elwood Perez Retrospective is an opportunity for today’s audiences to absorb the cinematic art of the director known in his time as a superstar director.”

“The nine-film retrospective, from September 25 to 30, celebrates Perez’s 50th anniversary as a multi-awarded filmmaker, a career marked by his strong presence in the industry through a gallery of films remembered for blending both artistic and commercial merits,” he added.

In 2013, FDCP awarded Perez “Master Filmmaker” for his film “Otso” in the Sineng Pambansa National Film Festival All Masters Edition along with 11 other veteran Filipino filmmakers. He is also one of Philippine Cinema’s Sine Sandaan Luminaries.

“Elwood ‘El Maestro’ Perez is the only living master of his generation with over 50 films in his name. As we near the end of the very 1st celebration of Philippine Film Industry Month, we honor one of Philippine Cinema’s icons through a film retrospective of his notable works,” said FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño.

FDCP also held a Gala Night to officially launch the “50 Years / 50 Films: An Elwood Perez Film Retrospective” on the FDCP Channel last September 25. Perez’s retrospective featured a performance by The Company, hosted by Miss Kakki Teodoro, heartfelt messages from celebrities he has worked with such as Charo Santos-Concio, Rio Locsin, Dexter Doria, and Gloria Diaz, which was followed by a special screening of “Esoterika: Manila.”

Perez, who was present during the gala night, expressed his thanks for the retrospective. “May God protect and bless you all, moviegoers, movie-makers, and the people behind the FDCP. I will always be grateful. From the bottom of my heart, mamahalin at mahal ko kayong lahat. Chair Liza Diño, through whose initiative this is happening right now, I will always be grateful to you.”

The Elwood Perez Retrospective is part of the 1st Philippine Film Industry Month celebration spearheaded by FDCP.

To watch the “50 Years / 50 Films: An Elwood Perez Film Retrospective” titles, log in at the FDCP Channel (or create an account for free) and click the Basic tab. For more information and inquiries, visit https://philippinefilmarchive.fdcp.ph/ and https://www.facebook.com/FDCPPFA.