Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

A man lights a cigarette outside a small restaurant in Mandaluyong, a day before World Health Organization’s “World No Tobacco Day”, May 30, 2019. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File

Article (news)

Yosi

Harlene Delgado

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175220781144220190530-no-tobacco-day-GC-6046.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="A man lights a cigarette outside a small restaurant in Mandaluyong, a day before World Health Organization’s “World No Tobacco Day”, May 30, 2019. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/FileA man lights a cigarette outside a small restaurant in Mandaluyong, a day before World Health Organization’s “World No Tobacco Day”, May 30, 2019. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">A man lights a cigarette outside a small restaurant in Mandaluyong, a day before World Health Organization’s “World No Tobacco Day”, May 30, 2019. <em>George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span>MANILA <strong>(UPDATED) </strong>— Sen. Pia Cayetano on Friday backed the calls of health and children&#x27;s rights groups rejecting the appointment of Dave Gomez, a former tobacco industry executive, as the new secretary of the Presidential Communications Office.</div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/10/dave-gomez-named-new-pco-chief-1245"><strong>Ex-journalist Dave Gomez named new PCO chief</strong></a></div><p>&quot;Appointing someone with longstanding ties to the tobacco industry to a top communications post sends the wrong message, especially to our youth, who remain the most vulnerable to the harmful influence of tobacco and vape products,&quot; said Cayetano.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/01/21/21/barkada-culture-weaponized-the-shared-joy-and-despair-of-vaping-among-pinoy-youth"><strong>Barkada culture &#x27;weaponized&#x27;?: The shared joy and despair of vaping among Pinoy youth</strong></a></div><p>Child Rights Network, Health Justice, Healthy Philippine Alliance, and seven other groups issued a statement Thursday slamming Gomez&#x27;s appointment to PCO, saying it &quot;risks turning the government&#x27;s voice into a vehicle for industry influence, weakening hard-won gains in tobacco control and public health.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/04/14/22/vape-bill-version-2022-congress-hijacks-stringent-regulations"><strong>Vape bill version 2022: Congress ‘hijacks’ stringent regulations</strong></a></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fweb.facebook.com%2FHealthJustice%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0DVmRApj9scW73UYrrmkMokoeH2sKG43U2Fc4fZrdnCCnCDmwPSApsVigZ3Fdecmul&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=500" width="500" height="250" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>Cayetano echoed the groups&#x27; sentiment and flagged a possible conflict of interest.</p><p>&quot;A person holding such a high-level position should have the independence to call out industries that act in ways harmful to our people. How can this be done if he has close ties with the very industry in question?&quot;</p><p>The appointment of former Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/24/masungi-hopes-for-new-dawn-at-denr-despite-concerns-on-lotilla-appointment-1419">raised similar concerns</a>.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/8/nbi-seizes-p30-m-worth-of-unregistered-vape-products-in-laguna-1451"><strong>NBI seizes P30-M worth of unregistered vape products in Laguna</strong></a></div><p>The groups asked the Commission on Appointments to &quot;seriously consider the implications of confirming [Gomez&#x27;s] appointment.&quot; </p><p>&quot;Confirming this appointment is an endorsement of placing an architect of addiction in charge of shaping national discourse,&quot; they said.</p><div><strong>GOMEZ: I RETIRED FROM TOBACCO GIANT BEFORE BEING APPOINTED</strong></div><p>Gomez on Friday said he &quot;respects the opinion&quot; of those criticizing his appointment but also said he had already retired from the tobacco industry when tapped to head the PCO.</p><p>&quot;Maybe in the right forum, the proper forum, I will respond to that. But again, this is not about me, this is about the president and how we socialize his programs and policies,&quot; he added.</p><p>Asked for assurance he would not be influenced by his previous ties to the tobacco industry, he said critics could check his oath of office.</p><p>&quot;Nangako ako doon eh at maninindigan ako sa pangako kong ‘yun (I made a promise and I will fulfill that promise) — to faithfully serve our President,&quot; he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>‘POLICIES MINUS POLITICS’</strong></div><p> In his address to the media, Gomez said he is &#x27;humbled and honored&#x27; by the appointment as he promised &quot;my 100% commitment and focus on this role.&quot;</p><p>The new PCO chief vowed to continue promoting &quot;government transparency, safeguard press freedom, and defend every citizen&#x27;s right to free speech.&quot;</p><p>This as he recognized that &quot;a healthy democracy depends on an informed public.&quot;</p><p> &quot;Access to information is not a privilege - it&#x27;s a cornerstone of accountability and public trust,&quot; he noted.</p><p>Gomez also emphasized that he will be focusing on communicating Marcos Jr.&#x27;s policies instead of politics.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2025/6/10/doh-pushes-for-law-vs-bringing-of-vapes-cigarettes-in-schools-1505"><strong>DOH pushes for law vs bringing of vapes, cigarettes in schools</strong></a></div><p>Gomez is the Marcos Jr. administration&#x27;s fifth PCO chief, after former journalist Jay Ruiz, media executive Cesar Chavez, former journalist Cheloy Garafil, and vlogger Trixie Angeles.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FRYqwrUzXMo?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>"Appointing someone with longstanding ties to the tobacco industry to a top communications post sends the wrong message, especially to our youth," Sen. Pia Cayetano said.</p>

"Appointing someone with longstanding ties to the tobacco industry to a top communications post sends the wrong message, especially to our youth," Sen. Pia Cayetano said.

Sen. Pia, groups reject Dave Gomez as PCO chief over tobacco industry ties

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Sen. Pia, groups reject Dave Gomez as PCO chief over tobacco industry ties

Jauhn Etienne Villaruel,

Harlene Delgado,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 11, 2025 12:54 PM PHT

|

Updated July 11, 2025 06:56 PM PHT

Read More:

PCO

Dave Gomez

health

health and wellness

politics

Pia Cayetano

PR

tobacco

vape

ANC

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