PNoy defends smoking habit anew in light of sin tax imbroglio

MONCADA, Tarlac— President Benigno Aquino III on Friday defended anew his smoking habit, this time while attending the inauguration here of a showcase of organically grown medicinal plants.   Speaking on the sidelines of the project’s launch, Aquino told reporters he has nothing to hide regarding his taste for cigarettes, and that it shouldn’t affect his administration's support for the proposed sin tax law, which health advocates decry has been watered down in the Senate.   “Well, ‘yun ngang hinahabol nitong sin tax measure, na i-discourage mo ‘yung behavior doon sa paninigarilyo at sa pag-iinom. So ako naman, ulitin ko lang, wala akong tinatago noong ako’y tumatakbo pa, batid naman na naninigarilyo ako,” he said. Pressures of the job   Aquino said smoking is one of his ways of dealing with the pressures of his job. “Alam naman niyo ‘yung pressures ng trabaho, ‘Pag tumigil tayo ng paninigarilyo ay baka saan lumabas ‘yung [pressure,]” he said.   But this highly stressful job is precisely why advocates have called on Aquino to drop his smoking habit, noting the medical history of his parents, slain Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. and the late President Corazon Aquino.   “Ang father niya nagka-heart attack, ang mother niya nagkaroon ng colon cancer. Past 50 na ang pangulo, stressful ang job. So very high-risk," said Dr. Anthony Leachon, an internist-cardiologist and consultant with the Department of Health (DOH), at a press briefing last month. [See story here.] PNoy: I don't encourage anyone to smoke   Aquino, however, said he tries his best not to be a nuisance to others. “Pinipigil ko naman huwag akong makamolestiya ng kapwa ko. So siguro naman ‘di pa pinagbabawal ng batas ito—dini-discourage [lang],” he said.    Aquino added that he does not in any way encourage smoking, and that people shouldn’t read too much into his habit. “Wala naman akong ini-encourage manigarilyo. [Ang mga ganitong tanong] parang masyadong busybody,” he added.   In Malacañang, deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte urged advocacy groups that want the president to stop smoking to address him directly, as smoking is his personal decision, rather than as a function of his office.   “That particular appeal should be addressed to the President primarily because it is his personal choice. Personal decision na po ng pangulo ‘yan ‘pag ang pinag-uusapan po natin is ‘yung pagku-quit po doon sa kanyang habit,” Valte said at a press briefing Friday. Sin tax bill   Valte reiterated that Aquino strongly supports the proposed sin tax law. She said the President is working closely with officials who have a hand in crafting the law, which is expected to generate millions in additional revenue for the country. “The team from the Department of Finance or the team from the Department of Health will continue to work with other advocates to convince our legislators of how important the sin tax measure will be to providing for more coverage for the universal healthcare program,” Valte said.   Valte said the president is still hopeful that the administration’s version of the bill will be passed. “In fact, yesterday nga po kung inyong maaalala sinabi nga po ng Pangulo na umaasa po siya na ‘yung mga mambabatas po natin ay tatayo sa likod ‘nung sin tax bill para mabigyan po tayo ‘nung pangangailangan natin para mapondohan po natin ‘yung universal healthcare program po natin,” she said.    The DOH earlier said the sin tax bill crafted by the executive branch could boost the universal healthcare budget by 43 percent. — KB/HS, GMA News