Philippines - former health ministers petition Supreme Court - cigarette packs graphic warnings..

January 19, 2011 - Five former health secretaries asked the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday to overturn the orders of two lower courts stopping the Department of Health (DOH) from requiring tobacco firms to place photographs depicting the terrifying effects of smoking on cigarette packs. In a motion for intervention, former health secretaries Esperanza Cabral, Francisco Duque III, Alberto Romualdez Jr., Jaime Galvez-Tan and Alfredo Bengzon backed the petition of current Health Secretary Enrique Ona for the SC to uphold the legality of Administrative Order 2010-0013 (Requiring Graphic Health Information on Tobacco Product Packages, Adopting Measures to Ensure Tobacco Product Packaging and Labelling Do Not Promote Tobacco By Any Means that are False, Misleading, Deceptive or Likely to Create an Erroneous Impression.)

Last year, the Marikina and Malolos Regional Trial Courts stopped Cabral from implementing the order. Mighty Corp. secured an injunction from the Malolos court. Fortune Tobacco Corp. was able to get a similar order from the Marikina court.

The five former health secretaries marched to the SC from the Philippine General Hospital to show their support for Ona’s petition. Enforcement of the AO would save the lives and health of millions of Filipinos and defray the devastating economic costs of smoking, they added. According to the petition, "It is respectfully prayed that the honourable court exercise its power of supervision over all lower courts and settle all questions on the validity of (Cabral's) Administrative Order 2010-0013 in favour of the DoH." (May 25, 2010 -Philippines - Department of Health wants health warnings on cigarette packs within 90 days..)

The petitioners said at least 35,000 Filipinos die every year due to tobacco-related diseases. It has been proven that picture-based warnings on cigarette packs have made a huge impact on smoking worldwide, they added.

For more background information.. Philippines - lawmaker proposes bill to use graphic warnings on cigarette packs..

References: Reversal of court rulings on graphic warnings in cigar packs sought by Edu Punay, Sheila Crisostomo, The Philippine Star, 1/18/2011; The Former Health Chiefs Pound Heavily on Cigarette Companies, submitted by Ria Patel, TOPNEWS.us, 1/18/2011.

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