The Supreme Court ruling sustaining the authority of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate cigarettes and tobacco products is a “major victory” for advocates of tobacco control and public health, Sen. Pia Cayetano said.
It may have taken 13 years, but Cayetano noted that it’s these victories that remind her to keep fighting the good fight.
“It’s what makes my job worthwhile,” she said.Cayetano recalled that 13 years ago, she sponsored and defended what became the FDA Act of 2009. RA 9711 mandated the FDA to regulate all products affecting health, including cigarettes and tobacco.
The tobacco industry rejected FDA’s authority and went to court to prevent the FDA from regulating them.
“The health hazards of tobacco cannot be denied, and are backed by strong medical evidence,” Cayetano said.
“It is common sense that these products be subjected to strict regulation by a competent health authority,” she added.
After a long judicial process, she said the SC has ruled in their favor by affirming FDA’s jurisdiction over cigarettes and tobacco products.
As principal sponsor of RA 9711 and later, as an intervenor in this case along with Sen. Franklin Drilon, Cayetano commended the SC for this landmark decision.
Furthermore, Cayetano related that this triumph wouldn’t have happened without the guidance and support of my fellow health advocates, including the late health secretary, Dr. Alberto Romualdez.
It can be recalled that Cayetano went to the SC to file her motion to intervene in the DOH and FDA case against the Philippine Tobacco Institute to uphold the FDA Law of 2009.