Group files complaint vs tobacco firm for Steve Aoki concert sponsorship

Public health groups on Tuesday filed a complaint against Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corporation (PMFTC) over its sponsorship of a Steve Aoki concert.

The complaint was lodged at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the Office for the Special Mandate on Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products (OSMV) as it cites possible violations of the “IQOS ILUMA x Steve Aoki Limited Edition Collaboration.”

The group claims the concert violated Republic Act No. 11900 or the Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act which bans promotional tactics that appeal to youth, celebrity endorsements, and sponsorship of concerts and cultural events.

“This is a blatant disregard of the law, and DTI should put a stop to this,” said Dr. Ulysses Dorotheo, Executive Director of the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA).

He also referenced similar controversy in 2008 when Philip Morris was forced to withdraw its sponsorship of an Eraserheads concert due to violations of the Tobacco Regulation Act. 

GMA News Online has reached out to Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corporation for comment, but it has yet to reply as of posting time.

Meanwhile, in an interview with GMA News Online, Atty. Sophia Monica V. San Luis, Executive Director of ImagineLaw, emphasized the urgency of the complaint.

“Violation yan ng RA 11900. Hindi lang celebrity endorsement ang bawal, pati na rin ang cultural events or concerts. Bale, pinakauna na dyan is yung brand collaboration nila with Steve Aoki. Violation 'yan ng prohibition against the use of celebrity to promote the use of heated tobacco products," she said.

(That’s a violation of RA 11900. It’s not just celebrity endorsements that are banned—cultural events and concerts are also covered. So, first of all, their brand collaboration with Steve Aoki is a violation of the ban on celebrity endorsements of heated tobacco products.)

She also raised concerns about the product design. 

“Yung device mismo na dinesign ni DJ Steve Aoki, napakamakulay, meron yung marking niya, glow in the dark pa… it will be attractive to the youth, which is also prohibited in the law.”

(The device designed by Steve Aoki is very colorful, has his logo, and even glows in the dark—it’s clearly attractive to the youth, which the law prohibits.)

The concert is set to be held in Taguig on April 26, 2025.

The coalition of health advocates stressed that this issue is not just about a single concert but what it says is a "larger pattern of aggressive marketing by the tobacco industry aimed at youth."

“So itong pag-file namin is our way of showing the government we're ready to cooperate with them and help them out in fighting the epidemic of tobacco and vape use.”

(This filing is our way of showing the government that we’re ready to cooperate and support efforts to fight the epidemic of tobacco and vape use.) —VAL, GMA Integrated News