A Tobacco Company Behind the TRO to Halt MMDA Smoking Ban

"Cigarette smoke has detrimental effects to you and those around you, particularly infants, children, and the elderly.


Have consideration for others when choosing to smoke."

These are the words that you'll see the first time that you insert your Metal Gear Solid 4 bluray disc and it starts installing on your PS3. I don't know about you but I'm pretty sure the effects of smoking is taught in every school. However, it seems to me like a lot of people don't care at all about the detrimental effects of smoking to themselves. Worse, they don't care how it affects the people around them. 



I was so happy when this news came out more than a month ago. It's refreshing to see that the government is serious about their anti-smoking campaign here in Metro Manila. This is a way to teach a few inconsiderate people a lesson. For those of you who don't know, I really hate cigarette smoke. Nothing pisses me off more than inhaling second-hand smoke from smoke-belching bystanders similar to the vehicles in EDSA. I don't really care if people around me are smoking if they really don't mind decreasing their number of years here on earth. But please, do us non-smokers a favor - try to find a place where no one else can inhale your second hand smoke but yourself or fellow smokers.


So when I watched the news last night, I was appalled upon hearing that a petition was filed to Mandaluyong RTC which led to a TRO (temporary restraining order) to halt smoking ban for 20 days. I was like "What the hell... Who the hell are these people that are so selfish and foolish to actually do this?" However, whoever these people are, I don't think they'll do it without a big fat cat backing them up. So I did a little research which yielded the names Anthony Clemente and Vrianne Lamson and their legal counsel Jesus de la Paz. The latter is said to be associated with Gonzales Batiller Leabres and Reyes law firm which has Philip Morris Manufacturing Inc. as one its clients. At this point, I can already smell the bullcrap.

Later in the evening in Bandila, one of the petitioners revealed the truth (it's not stated which of the two names mentioned above though). They're just backed up by a tobacco company (not mentioned if it's really Philip Morris though) to file this petition.

To this guy who revealed the truth: I truly commend you for your courage. But please don't let yourself again be used by big fat cats who apparently shows no concern at all to the health and welfare of the society and skew the law to conform to their selfish personal agendas. And to all tobacco companies out there: I know, you guys are only after our money. You're not really helping the society at all. You don't really care about the welfare of the people. Please don't hinder the people that do care.

Update: This morning in Umagang Kay Ganda, additional details were released regarding this issue. The guy who claimed that Philip Morris is the one behind the petition is actually Anthony Clemente. He said that he can't pay the amount P100,000 to file the petition so that will be funded by the said tobacco company. In addition, everything is planted, they let themselves be apprehended by MMDA on purpose. Of course, Philip Morris and the lawyer Jesus de la Paz denied the allegations. I almost puked when I heard the way De La Paz denied the allegations in the show. As of now, the two guys who filed the petition are missing. To these two guys, my best wishes and I hope you guys are safe. To Philip Morris and De La Paz, please go screw yourselves.

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