The Department of Health (DOH) said that it will continue to inform the public on the adverse effects of vape and tobacco products.
DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said that they are saddened that the vape bill lapsed into law.
"Nakakalungkot na nag-lapse into law pero kami ay tuluy-tuloy pa rin sa Kagawaran ng Kalusugan para atin pong iparating sa ating mga kababayan ang masamang dulot ng ating vape at saka yung tobacco products natin (It is unfortunate that this has lapsed into law. But the Department of Health will still continue working to inform our countrymen of the bad effects of vape and our tobacco products)," said Vergeire in an interview on Tuesday, July 26.
"Titingnan natin kung ano pa ang pwedeng natin uling gawin for this next Congress (We will see what else we can do this next Congress)," she added.
In a television interview on Wednesday, July 27, former Philippine College of Physicians president Dr. Maricar Limpin also expressed her disagreement with this new measure.
"I could not describe the disappointment that I felt...We felt that this bill should have been transmitted to the Office of the President long time ago when this bill was already passed in both Houses of Congress but that did not happen. The bill was only transmitted around five days before the end of President Duterte's. So for us, there seems to be a legality on how the process was actually done or conducted," she said.
"I think it can be expected that we will actually question the legality, and of top of this, we will also question the constitutionality of the law because the regulatory power over vape products has been transferred from the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) to DTI (Department of Trade and Industry)," she added.
"In DTI, we all know it is just about trade. It has nothing to do with health issues. And therefore, there is really question on the constitutionality of this bill," she furthered.