MANILA – The proposal of Swiss firm SICPA Product Security SA to provide security stamps on cigarettes is not a done deal, Finance Secretary Margarito Teves said yesterday, assuring lawmakers that there was nothing final yet. “It must be clarified that the SICPA (proposal) is merely an unsolicited proposal under the BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) Law. It’s not a done deal yet,” Teves said. He said that even if the Bureau of Internal Re ... Jump to full article >>

Lawmakers say a smoking ban St. Louis voters approved yesterday could lead to a ban statewide. Christine Slusser reports. The new smoking ban takes affect in certain indoor public places in St. Louis County. The new ban may give momentum toward a statewide smoking ban. Jefferson County Democratic Representative Jeff Roorda says St. Louis has a huge impact on statewide issues. “Statewide votes very often are won and lost in St. Louis County ... Jump to full article >>

Outgoing legislators may well be remembered for their crude sense of humor, but their last legacy, losing a contentious provision on tobacco from the health bill they endorsed, absolutely deserves not only a good laugh, but also a criminal investigation. Over the past week, people have been amused, curious and outraged at the same time about the missing key “tobacco provision”, which has become a subject of heated debate during the d ... Jump to full article >>