Senatorial aspirant Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday urged President Rodrigo Duterte to veto the Vape Bill, joining the number of opposers against the controversial proposal.
Cayetano in an interview with DZRH questioned the intentions of the bill, particularly the expansion of its accessibility by making it available to individuals aged 18 and above.
"Bakit [ang] edad na 21 ibinaba nila sa 18? So 18 years old pwede nang bumili, samantalang dati [21 years old]. Ibig sabihin, tinatarget ng mga kumpanya na gustong maging adik tayo sa sigarilyo at nicotine ang mga bata," he said.
(Why is the 21 years of age lowered to 18? So 18-year-old individuals are now allowed to buy them, while in the past it was 21. This means that these companies want us to be addicted to cigarettes and for children to be addicted to nicotine.
He also criticized the transfer of the overseeing function on the product to the Department of Trade and Industry, instead of the Food and Drugs Administration.
"Nung naimbento ito at pinaghalo-halo 'yan, ang dami pong naihalo diyan na nakakasama sa katawan," he said. "So dapat FDA 'yan, Food and Drug administration, eh ang nangyari inilalapat ng Senado't Kongreso as DTI."
(When it was made, it was mixed, there are a lot of substances mixed in that will be entering the body. So it should be the FDA, Food and Drug Administration, but what happened was it was transferred by the Senate and Congress to the DTI.)
"So 'yun po ang dahilan kung bakit pinave-veto po natin," he added.
(This is why we want it vetoed.)
Meanwhile, Cayetano also put into question the legislation that seeks to grant e-sabong or online cockfighting operators 25-year franchises.
According to the official, he was confused on why operators were granted 25-year franchises when the only goal of passing such was for the government to get more funds amid the pandemic.
"Sana po kasi, katulad ngayon, kailangan ‘yung ayuda, kailangan po 'yung Bayanihan 3, kailangan po napakaraming bill, pero ang inuna ng Congress yung e-sabong at saka e-cigarettes," he said.
(When aid is needed, when the Bayanihan 3 is needed, other bills are needed, Congress decided to pass first online cockfighting and e-cigarette bills.)
"So sana naman po ay ngayong pandemic, wag tayong mag-take advantage na 'yung mga 'yun ang unahin kasi hindi makakatulong sa ating kababayan."
(So I hope this pandemic, we don’t take advantage of it and prioritize such bills because it is not helping our countrymen.)
Cayetano has been firm on his opposition to grant e-sabong or online cockfighting firms 25-year franchises. In November, the House ways and means committee approved a bill granting Visayas Cockers Club Inc. a 25-year franchise to operate offsite betting stations.
Later on, the Senate in December passed on its third and final reading the controversial bill regulating the sale and distribution of electronic cigarettes o vaping products.
