Senator Pia Cayetano on Tuesday, July 26, expressed disappointment over the lapsing of the Vape Bill into law, saying it was not what she expected.
In a statement, Cayetano said she thought the bill would be vetoed by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. after the latter repeatedly emphasized in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) that science will be the cornerstone of his programs.
"To say that I am disappointed in the 18th Congress that passed the bill, and with the President for not vetoing it, will not do justice to the millions of lives that will be put in harm's way because of the Vape Law," she said.
While her "heart is broken," Cayetano said her "spirit is not".
"I will never stop fighting for the health and well-being of the Filipinos, even against strong lobbies of industries and policymakers who choose to support their interests over the people," she added.
In March, Cayetano hit the proponents of the vape bill, as their claims that the measure would protect the youth is a "blatant lie".
Cayetano argued that if the proponents said that the bill solidifies the provisions of Republic Act (RA) No. 11467 by strengthening the flavor ban on electronic cigarettes, then "they should have just kept the provision of the Sin Tax Law, which limits vape flavors to plain tobacco and plain menthol only".
But Cayetano noted that the proponents instead "provided wording that allows hundreds and thousands of flavors to flood the market".