President Duterte signs law raising excise taxes on all tobacco products

(Eagle News)—President Rodrigo Duterte has signed Republic Act 11346 which raised the excise tax on all tobacco products as a move to “protect the right to health of the Filipino people.”

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea announced that President Duterte signed House Bill No. 8677 and its counterpart bill in the Senate, Senate Bill no. 2233 into law on Thursday, July 25.

The new law, RA 11346, would impose higher excise taxes on cigarettes from P35 to P45 per pack next year.

The tax on cigarrettes will also be raised yearly from 2021 to 2023: it will be P50 per pack in 2021, P55 per pack in 2022, and P60 per pack in 2023.

Even e-cigarettes, or heated tobacco and vapor products, will be levied P10 per back beginning 2021, and its tax will increase by 5% every year effective Jan. 1, 2021. Before e-cigarettes were considered excise tax free.

-Angara thanks Duterte for signing bill into law-

Senator Edgardo Angara immediately welcomed the signing into law of the bills imposing higher excise taxes on tobacco products.

“We welcome the enactment of Republic Act 11346 or the increase in the excise tax on tobacco products. We worked on passing this measure as the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee in the previous Congress with the goal of generating additional revenues to help fund the gap for the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act,” he said in a statement.

“We thank the President for his support in pushing for the passage of this law,” he said.

Angara said that apart from funding the Universal Health Care to provide all Filipinos with affordable and quality health care, RA 11346 “will also result in a reduction of in the number of smokers by raising the prices of cigarettes, heated tobacco and vapor products.”

“We want to discourage the youth from taking up smoking and also reduce deaths and disabilities brought about by smoking,” he said.

-Duterte says smoking caused his Buerger’s disease-

During his fourth SONA on Monday, July 22, the President did not hide his disgust for smoking, saying it was what had caused his Buergers’ disease.

“Sinong naninigarilyo dito? They should be exterminated from the face of the earth. They are the ones… You know, I… I’m… I do not hide my — what’s wrong with me. I acquired Buerger’s disease because I smoke,” Duterte said in his speech.

“Buerger’s disease is a rare disease of the arteries and veins in the arms and legs,” according to a description from Mayo clinic.

One with this disease experience inflamed blood vessels, which eventually leads to damaged or destroyed skin tissues. This could further lead to infection and gangrene.

Quitting the use of all forms of tobacco is the only way to stop the disease.