THE Health Justice Philippines called on the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to insulate the government from interference of the tobacco industry.
In a statement, the public health think tank said it is imperative for the government to distance itself from the tobacco industry.
"It is time our leaders rid themselves of all conflicts of interest with the tobacco industry,” said Health Justice.
“We demand that the government reject any partnership or donations from tobacco companies and their affiliates; and train officials to properly enforce the DOH-CSC Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) 2010-001 that is aligned with the country’s obligations under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC),” it added.
The group said it is issuing the call as it has observed an escalating score of the Philippines in the Tobacco Industry Interference (TII) Index Report of 70 in 2025.
This is higher compared to previous TII Index Reports of 58 in 2021, and 60 in 2023.
"We are sounding the alarm over the shameless influence of the tobacco industry under the Marcos Jr. administration," said Health Justice president Mary Ann Fernandez Mendoza.
To note, the TII Index report reviews publicly available incidents, including the tobacco industry’s participation in policy development as a member of Inter-agency Committee (IAC) Tobacco; recognitions and government incentives received; corporate washing activities like various donations of food and health-related equipment; as well as collaborations with government programs and other undisclosed meetings.
Mendoza said having an increasingly influential tobacco industry does not bode well in the government's public health policies.
“The escalating interference of the tobacco industry is corrupting good governance, therefore, hampering our progress in public health with weakened policies,” said Mendoza. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)