Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque (File photo)
MANILA – Malacañang is leaving it to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to decide on banning the distribution of a locally-made beauty product line bearing an address “Manila Province, P.R. China.”
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made this remark after Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) Partylist Rep. Jericho Nograles wrote the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and FDA to complain the manufacturer of the Chinese hair care product, Ashley Shine Keratin Treatment Deep Repair has “1st Flr. 707 Ito Cristo St., San Nicolas, Manila Province, P.R. China” as its address on its packaging.
Roque said the FDA should decide on the matter since it is the agency responsible for regulating drugs, medical devices, food, cosmetics, and toys.
“Tingin ko po ang FDA ay nagdedesisyon diyan dahil there are criteria for blacklisting. I think one of those is kung merong banta sa kalusugan ng gagamit nito(I think the FDA will make a decision on that because there are criteria for blacklisting. I think one of those is if there is a threat to health). So let’s allow the FDA to exercise their exclusive jurisdiction pagdating sa bagay na ‘yan (when it comes to that issue),” he said in a virtual Palace briefing.
He shrugged off concerns it was insulting, saying anyone would believe in the address written on the packaging.
“Ang sakin kalokohan lang po ‘yan. Hindi dapat pinapansin ‘yan dahil wala namang naniniwala na tayo’y probinsya ng Tsina (For me, that’s just nonsense. It should not be given attention because nobody believes that we’re the province of China),” he said.
According to Roque, Filipinos would never allow the country to be dominated by any foreign country.
“Lahat ng Pilipino ay nagmamahal sa bayan (All Filipinos love their country). We are proud to be Filipinos and we will never allow to be subjugated by any foreign power,” he said.
In his letter to the DTI and FDA, Nograles asked the agencies to investigate the matter, saying that “any act to undermine our sovereignty must be taken seriously”.
“It is in this light that we respectfully ask your Office to immediately investigate this detestable and repulsive offense against our nation, and, if legally justified, prohibit the continued distribution of these products in our country,” Nograles said in the letter.
Based on the information received by his office, Nograles said the Chinese product bearing the address was manufactured in 2018 and is still distributed throughout the country.
He said the product is being distributed by Elegant Fumes Beauty Products Inc., a Binondo-based company owned by a Chinese national.
Last May, a geotag that identified the Philippines as “Province of China” and “North Philippines, Province of China” on social media apps Facebook and Instagram made headlines.
Malacañang called on fact verifiers to flag the geotag, stressing that it was their job as fact-checkers to prevent fake news from spreading on social media. (PNA)
