Congressmen criticized on Saturday Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas who earlier accused President Arroyo of colliding with multinational pharmaceutical firms in delaying the implementation of the Cheaper Medicines Act.

This developed as Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said that the Cheaper Medicines Law will be implemented within 10 days, amid criticisms from Roxas, including a threat to subpoena President Arroyo to a Senate hearing.

One of the principal authors of the law, Iloilo Rep. Ferjenel Biron, said it was Roxas who pushed for the exclusion of the “heart and soul” of Republic Act 9502, or the Universally Accessible, Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act, which is the imposition of a mandatory price regulation in the pharmaceuticals industry.

“Sen. Roxas should not blame President Arroyo for the failure of the Cheaper Medicines Law. He should blame himself because he killed the law,” Biron stressed.

Remonde said: “The bottom line here is in 10 days, ma-iimplement na yung Cheaper Medicines Law.”.

The Press Secretary also said that Health Secretary Francisco Duque will be attending the Senate hearing this week, adding that the Palace is not taking sides with the pharmaceutical companies.

Remonde said that they saw the allegations as “malicious” and “politicking.”

He added that it is unethical to subpoena the president to a Senate hearing.

“If he knows that is so, obviously, ang ginagawa niya is political grandstanding.

That alone should be a very bad move sa kanyang alleged expose,” he said.

“We welcome the interest of Sen. Mar Roxas to implement the Cheaper Medicines Act… [but] lambasting the president, that is too much,” he added.

Biron, a physician by profession, said the provision on mandatory price regulation was being pushed by the House contingent during the bicameral conference committee deliberating on the proposed law then.

But due to the intense opposition of senators, particularly “presidentiable” Roxas, the Senate version which gave the power to regulate the prices of medicines to the President prevailed, he added.

Roxas had earlier disclosed that Arroyo met last Wednesday at Malacañang with representatives of multinational pharmaceutical firms. He then accused the Chief Executive of colluding with them to derail the issuance of an executive order setting the Maximum Retail Price in 22 essential drugs or a cut in the price of more or less 50 percent.

The senator said he has invited Arroyo to attend and explain before the bicameral Quality Affordable Medicines Oversight Committee her alleged collusion with drug companies.

But Speaker Prospero Nograles said Roxas’ decision to invite the President is “legally untenable” and “a violation of executive privilege and inter-parliamentary and executive courtesy.”