Cayetano stressed that the measure, which requires the use of pictures showing the dangers of smoking, needs to be passed to discourage people from even trying it.
The senator defended the bill in the 14th Congres, but it was not passed largely because of objections from tobacco companies.
"It's high time," Cayetano told reporters on Tuesday. "I make this humanitarian appeal to the corporate citizens out there [who] are involved in the tobacco industry. Panindigan naman po natin ang responsibilidad natin sa society."
"I find it is the height of irresponsibility when corporate citizens, companies will object to very responsible measures like this," she added.
Among the points that had been raised against the bill before was the additional cost of producing graphic health warnings.
Cayetano, however, noted: "The price you pay for not informing the public of the health risk is so much more than the additional cost of printing a full-color health warning."
At a meeting on Tuesday, Sen. Franklin Drilon told visiting lawmakers from South Korea that the bill on graphic warnings will be a priority health measure in the next Congress.
He himself had vowed to push for it.
Drilon, touted as the next Senate president, cited the passage of the reproductive health and sin tax laws in the previous Congress as among their biggest achievements for the health sector.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
