HEALTH advocates yesterday declared backed the candidacies of four senatorial bets who they said have track records of protecting public health against the harms of tobacco and vape products.
In a statement, the Sin Tax Coalition said they are in full support of the candidacies of reelectionist Sen. Pia Cayetano and former senators Francis Pangilinan, Panfilo Lacson and Emmanuel Pacquiao.
Cayetano, Lacson and Pacquiao are running under the “Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas” slate while Pangilinan is running as an independent.
“We need candidates for the 2025 elections to be health tax heroes and stand with us in prioritizing the health and well-being of our people,” said the coalition.
“We have to stay the course so that these taxes keep impacting consumption, given the ongoing epidemic affecting young people,” it also said.
The groups said they are against the candidacy of those with proven track records of siding with the tobacco industry, which they said include reelectionist Senators Imee Marcos and Ramong Revilla Jr.
“They are the biggest health tax hazards as the candidates have chosen the industry’s interests over public health,” they said.
“Let’s demand accountability on their stances, especially with recent efforts to undermine tax collection efforts through the Sin Tax Sabotage bill,” they added.
The coalition of health advocates called on voters to “scrutinize the records of 2025 candidates.”
The group includes the Philippine Medical Association, Philippine College of Chest Physicians, and Hepatology Society of the Philippines.
