The pharmaceutical industry, intellectual property rights advocates, and business groups are calling for steeper sanctions and the criminalization of medicine counterfeiting, which they have referred to as a “sophisticated and entrenched threat in the Philippines.”
In a dialogue hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (AmCham), stakeholders warned of the rising incidence of falsified oncology, cardiovascular, TB, and HIV drugs, underscoring the urgent need for stronger legal deterrence.
Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) Acting Director General Nathaniel Arevalo stated that his agency sees the need for higher penalties for counterfeit medicines.
“The counterfeit medicines are not ordinary fake goods. Counterfeit medicines endanger lives, and our laws must reflect the seriousness of this offense,” he said.
Arevalo also emphasized that existing fines imposed under current laws are no longer adequate.
“If penalties remain low, counterfeiters will simply treat them as the cost of doing business. We need sanctions strong enough to deter, not just penalize,” he added.
For her part, IPOPHL IP Rights Enforcement Office Supervising Director Atty. Christine Pangilinan-Canlapan underscored the need to pursue the source of counterfeit operations, not just small-scale resellers.
“We cannot rely only on seizing products at the retail level,” she said. “To dismantle these networks, we must go after manufacturers and major distributors, and that requires stronger, clearer criminal provisions in our laws.”
PHAP Executive Director Teodoro “Ted” Padilla also urged legislators to move decisively, saying, “If legitimate, affordable access is lacking, counterfeiters will fill the gap.”
“But access alone isn’t enough; we need laws that make counterfeiting medicines a serious crime, with serious consequences,” he added.
Participants at the forum likewise raised alarm over recent seizures where supposed cancer drugs, HIV treatments, and life-saving antibiotics were found to contain contaminants or, in several cases, nothing more than water.
These cases, they noted, reveal how counterfeiters are shifting toward high-value and high-demand medicines, exploiting patient desperation and persistent barriers to access.
Arevalo shared new IPOPHL data showing that pharmaceutical and medical products now account for 8% of all counterfeit goods tracked nationwide as of November 2025.
From January to October, 70% of counterfeit drugs intercepted were prescription medicines, many meant for serious or life-threatening conditions.
He warned that counterfeit operations are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
“Some imitations are so precise that even trained professionals can be deceived,” Arevalo said, pointing to the reuse of authentic packaging and the rapid expansion of online sellers.
Industry representatives supported the policy direction, noting that without meaningful sanctions, counterfeit networks will continue to operate with impunity.
Meanwhile, the AmCham warned that the threat posed by counterfeit medicines transcends their economic toll.
“Counterfeit medicine is not just economic sabotage; it is a fatal crime. Therefore, there should be harsher penalties for perpetrators,” AmCham pharmaceutical committee chair Martin Crisostomo told Manila Standard on Friday.
