It’s not ‘Villarroyo’ but ‘Marroyo’

Biron, as principal author of the Cheaper Medicines Bill in the House of Representatives, had steadfastly asked the bicameral committee to adopt his “brainchild” or the key provision creating the multisectoral Drug Prices Regulatory Board to peg the right prices.

But Roxas – a known lackey of the multinational drug firm Pfizer – prevailed upon the “bicam” to empower the President, in collaboration with the Department of Health, to slash prices.

It was ironic, considering that Roxas, an opposition stalwart, is a known critic of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Why would Roxas suddenly entrust such an important function as cutting profits of multinational drug firms to a ruler who has proven herself susceptible to corruption? If GMA has colluded with the oil and rice cartels, both merciless in overpricing their goods, why would she resist an equally wealthy medicine cartel?

Well, at that time, Mar was probably thinking he would be next President, since he had not yet abandoned his presidential ambition to give way to Noynoy.

Now let’s recall that in her last State of the Nation Address (SONA) in June 2009, GMA referred to the enacted law as the “weaker” version. It was a tacit acknowledgment that the Biron provision on the creation of a price-regulatory body – in effect unwittingly chastising Roxas – could have been more favorable to drug consumers.

Biron, the true father of the original House Bill 6035, had intended to slash prices of at least 1,500 formulations to reasonable levels.

But because of Roxas’ unspoken collusion with the medicine cartel, only the prices of a little more than a hundred formulations have been slashed to still overpriced levels.

Here’s one proof: While it’s true that Pfizer’s anti-hypertension drug, Norvasc 10 mg, has down-priced by almost 50%, from P75 to P38.50 on retail, it’s really nothing new. The Pfizer people are still grateful to Mar because that is the price that holders of Pfizer’s “sulit” card – regular “maintenance” takers – have been paying.

Whereas, the retail price of the same drug in India and Pakistan is the equivalent of even less than ten Philippine pesos. 


The hand of the medicine cartel has become evident even in the media. Certain columnists of Manila newspapers, instead of questioning the Roxas version, have started targeting Biron on the pretext that he has hidden agenda for insisting on the creation of the Drug Prices Regulatory Board.

It’s a hard-sell black propaganda against Biron though. If the congressman were thinking only of himself, then playing ball with the multinationals would be good for him. It’s because the Biron family – through the Philippine Pharmawealth and Ferj Pharmacy – has been importing and selling branded and generic drugs, respectively, at surprisingly low prices already. 

Asthmatics, for instance, will be surprised to learn that Pharmawealth’s generic salbutamol nebule for inhalation costs only P13.15  but is as effective as the expensive Ventolin that sells at P33.50!

Unfortunately, the big chains of drugstores nationwide have conspired with the big drug manufacturers to refrain from selling certain cheaper, generics.

Had the Biron version made it, such refusal to sell would have subjected the seller to a penalty ranging from a hundred to 500 pesos for first offense and up to a million for repetitive violations or cancellation of license to operate.


Who’s telling the truth? Mayor Jerry Treñas for blaming ex-Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez over the grenade explosion that shattered the glass wall of his bakeshop?

Or Gonzalez who said that Jerry, who is running for congressman against Raul Jr., could have ordered the job to gain  sympathy votes?

The mere task of choosing whom to believe between the two is tough, since one sprang from the other. Jerry used to be a clean lawyer – until his mentor, the “king” Raul, transformed him into a “trapo.” Now that the spring is trying to rise above its source, these two “trapos” would do anything to destroy each other.