Wanted: a candidate with guts to shoot a giant firm

I WRITE in search of a champion to fight the longstanding dominance of an anticompetitive drugstore chain. There was always that one go-to drugstore whether for antiallergy meds or antibiotics or, in later years, the pills needed for my heart condition and thyroid maintenance. I always wondered why my cousins from abroad would send or bring home those big bottles of medicines. It seems that elsewhere in the world, the price of medicines is not as dear as life itself.

After hearing the last State of the Nation Address of President Aquino, it felt like it’s the right time to sound the alarm on decades-long oppressive practices that have kept prices of medicine out of reach of majority of our countrymen. One of the highlights of President Aquino’s speech was the approval of landmark legislation by Congress, of which the first he mentioned was the Philippine Competition Act. Signed on July 21, barely a few days before President Aquino’s last Sona, it is this citizen’s opinion that this legislation will be the legacy President Aquino will be remembered for. The landmark law tackles the long-standing practices of anticompetitive business tactics, and sets the stage for a truly free and fair competition in trade and economic activities.

With such a game-changer of a law in our hands, perhaps it is time to make an example of those that have been manipulating consumers and competitors alike, those that have had the unfair advantage arising from being dominant and domineering. To my mind, if the President or his chosen one or anyone seeking my vote would make this game-changer of a law bring about better products and real market prices, then I would seriously consider this person to be the next leader of our nation.

So the law is passed, and it is ready to be put to work. Who now among the mighty aspirants to the highest position in the land will take on this giant of an unethical market leader? I assure these aspirants that if you put an end to the devious ways of this monolith, you will not only have endeared yourself to the citizenry; you will also carve a name that will be remembered as the slayer of the devious anticompetitive drugstore.

Then I also have to ask why the secretary of health seems not to be too concerned about keeping the prices of medicines down. Isn’t this something she should have put on her priority list?

Better yet, Mr. President, why not make this your last crusade, to bring down the prices of medicines, to bring down the big, bad wolf of a drugstore chain. You signed the law, now you can make it work. That, Mr. President, would make daang matuwid mean something good and real to every Filipino family.

—PATRICIA ANN V. CANTERO, [email protected]