Congressmen who authored the House of Representatives version of the now popular Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008 on Monday accused Sen. Mar Roxas of claiming credit for the salient provisions of the bill that have so far resulted in bringing down the cost of medicines.

“He lied to the Filipinos,” said Rep. Ferjenel Biron (NP, Iloilo City) during a press conference last Monday.

Biron, chairman of the House Committee on Legislative Franchises, said House Majority Leader Arthur Defensor was correct in accusing

Roxas of watering down the measure, adding that the Liberal Party vice presidential bet had practically rammed down their throat the Senate version of the bill that contained “toothless” provisions for the imposition of price ceilings on pharmaceuticals.

“The bicameral committee report prepared by Roxas was without a price monitoring and price ceiling provision. Teddy, Janette, Ompong, and I practically begged for him to include such provision, “ said Biron.

“I told him ‘hindi ba gusto mo maging president, I-approve mo iyan para makuha mo gusto mo.” (You can be President if you will approve it) He was referring to Reps. Teodoro Locsin Jr. (PDP-Laban, Makati City); Janette Garin (Lakas-Kampi-CMD, Iloilo) and Rodolfo Plaza (NPC, Agusan del Sur), who were among the principal proponents of the House version of the cheaper medicines bill.

In his campaign, Roxas has been trying to cash in on his supposed significant role in the passage of the cheaper medicines law in a bid to boost his vice presidential hopes.

Biron said that if Roxas had any role in the approval of the measure, it would have been his attempt to water down the measure and thus, serve the interest of multinational pharmaceutical firms that have rendered the prices of most medicines out of reach by ordinary Filipinos.

Iloilo Vice Gov. Rolex Suplico, who authored a similar House bill since the 11th Congress, accused Roxas of “snatching” credit for the popular price control mechanism of the law from Biron and other congressmen who authored House Bill 2844 that contains such provision.

“Instead of supporting the House in pushing for a strong price control mechanism on medicine, Roxas tried to soften the blows of this mechanism on the multinational companies which nine years ago dangled a P1 billion lobby fund against legislative acts aimed at controlling the cost of pharmaceuticals in the country,” said Suplico.