P.O. Box 1161, QCCPO, NCR, Philippines 1100
Cell No. : +63 917-812-5546
Email : labankonsyumer@gmail.com
: dimagibavic@gmail.com
: dmagiba@pldtdsl.net
Facebook: Laban Konsyumer Inc.
Website : www.labankonsyumer.com
LKI 2020-030 PRESS STATEMENT
May 26, 2020
LABAN KONSYUMER SUPPORTS LOWER MEDICINE PRICES, CALLS FOR IMPLEMENTATION ON JUNE 2
In a radio interview with Angelo Palmones of DZRH , consumer advocacy group Laban Konsyumer Inc. (LKI) and its President Atty. Vic Dimagiba said “there is some relief for consumers during this lockdown. While we still struggle to make money and raise enough funds for our expenses, medicine prices will be going down very soon.”
Dimagiba pointed out “135 medicines will see their prices drop by 45 to 55 percent of their current prices. This includes hypertension, diabetes, anti-asthma, anti-coagulant, anti-depressant, and anti-viral medicines. This has been studied for a long time, and this was issued by the President by Executive Order 104 in February 2020. This price drop should start on June 2. The Department of Health will come out with an infomercial campaign so consumers by next week will know about this. There will also be posters in the drugstores. Consumers will know what are the new prices of medicines. Consumers with maintenance medicine will know the lower prices they will pay for.”
Dimagiba explained “We cannot tolerate the pharmaceutical companies going against this drop in prices, because they admitted that their prices have already gone up, admitting that their prices for medicine is already high. The EO shall grant access to medicine at lower prices. This executive order was not just signed, there was a lot of technical review, and in our view, the implementation of this EO is very timely because of the pandemic. We must follow the government’s wishes, and implement these low prices immediately for the welfare of consumers. The major pharma companies should not counter these moves, as now is not the time to complain about losing money when this crisis of coronavirus is taking away livelihoods of our fellow brothers and sisters.”
LKI stated “This drop in medicine prices… is the best news that should start already for everybody, whether senior citizen or PWD. We want to see this reduction of 40 to 50 percent in list of medicine prices. DOH and DTI ordered that within 30 days, there should be additional medicines added to the list, but the pandemic got in the way and prevented additional medicines to be put in. Based on the Bayanihan Act, these big pharmaceutical companies should not anymore complain about the billions they will lose in taxes. Consumers are the ones paying these taxes, so them complaining about the loss in billions makes them indirectly admitting to their current or recent high prices. It is only just that the prices they pay for medicine is lowered now for the good of all consumers.”