Shutting the Door on Industry Interference

Our newly elected lawmakers are now in the position to do what is right for public health.

As the 20th Congress assembles, its members carry more than the hopes of their constituents. Our senators and representatives hold the power to shape a future where health is not a privilege but a right for every Filipino. With fresh mandates and renewed commitments, they have the opportunity before them to pass pro-health, life-saving policies that put people first.

The first order of business should be to shun the specter of industry interference that waits by the door for our newly elected lawmakers.

The public health community has warned our duty-bearers about this long before the 20th Congress. The rhetoric of choice has been weaponized to delay regulation, undermine enforcement, and mask the truth on cigarettes, vape, and alcohol, shifting the responsibility of regulation to the individual instead of addressing the systemic drivers of harm. These industries continue to normalize beliefs and narratives supporting their vested interests, positioning these products as recreational and social necessities.

But cigarettes, vape, and alcohol continue to harm, injure, and kill. Most at risk are the very people lawmakers are meant to protect — young Filipinos, women, and vulnerable communities disproportionately bearing the health and financial burdens of these industries.

Take, for instance, House Bill No. 11360—dubbed the Sin Tax Sabotage Bill—which was passed on third reading by the House of Representatives earlier this year, and is being railroaded in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. The measure does away with the annual 5 percent indexation of tobacco taxes, replacing it with alternating adjustments between 2 percent and 4 percent starting 2026.

Lowering excise tax rates only significantly damages fiscal and public health by increasing accessibility to cigarettes and other tobacco products. Initial estimates from the Sin Tax Coalition projects that the tobacco industry will profit P33.7 billion from the bill if enacted, and a staggering P176 billion income revenue loss for the government.

The numbers tell us what we already see in our hospitals and communities. Vaping and smoking cigarettes among Filipino youth is rising. Tobacco-related illnesses remain one of the country’s top killers. Alcohol consumption drives road crashes, domestic violence, and a spectrum of long-term health issues and mental illnesses from alcohol use disorder.

Statistics from the Global Burden of Disease Study has shown that a total of 88,169 Filipinos passed away from tobacco-related afflictions in 2021, a number that accounted for a tenth of all deaths in the country that year. It also noted there were 27,478 alcohol-related deaths. These are not mere statistics; they are children with inflamed lungs, mothers battling cancer, and breadwinners buried too soon.

The 20th Congress can change this story.

Industry lobbyists will frame regulation as an assault on personal freedom or economic growth while cloaking addiction and illness in the language of choice and harm reduction. But there is nothing free about a choice made without full knowledge of possible repercussions. Economic productivity and human development are weighed down by the costs of cancer, stroke, and early death.

The alcohol, tobacco, and vape industries will continue to knock on our decision-makers’ doors. They will offer sentiment about economic growth, consumer rights, and innovation. Make no mistake. What they seek is a policy environment where regulation is diluted and accountability is deferred.

Public health laws must be passed with the people in mind, not profit margins. We need bold, uncompromising legislation. That means increasing taxes on cigarettes, vape, and alcohol products that deter consumption and in turn, fund public healthcare. Most importantly, that means standing up against industry interference in policy-making. This involves proactively monitoring pro-health policies, defending the gains of public health laws, and engaging the media to assist in compliance and enforcement efforts. Combating industry interference starts with taking a preemptive stance against industry attacks.

The public deserves laws that prioritize health, not handshakes with harmful industries. If lawmakers stand with public health, they must shut the door to industry interference once and for all.

We, medical and allied health professionals, in the public health community are ready to work with this Congress. We believe they can stand on the side of health, and history will remember them for it.

Dr. Anthony Leachon is an independent health reform advocate.