Has the government-run Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority changed its mind after giving assurance that it would order the withdrawal of a lethal herbicide from farm distribution outlets in Baguio City and Benguet?

The question cropped up last week after Benguet Gov. Nestor Fongwan revealed that FPA executive director Dr. Norlito Gicana has yet to make good on his word to issue the order.

“He told me the other week he would give the order in two days but there is no order yet up to now,” said Fongwan.

The governor said he also wanted the FPA or the distributing company to clarify if the herbicide is for general use or for restricted use?

He said the FPA should also ensure that there is an antidote once the product is ingested by human beings by mistake.

He said the use of reactivated charcoal is only for First Aid purposes and does not prevent the person from being poisoned.

Fongwan has called on the FPA to order the withdrawal of the herbicide, known under its commercial label as Gramoxone, from farm supply establishments in both Baguio and Benguet.

He said that more than a week since Gicana assured him an order was forthcoming, he has yet to hear from the FPA official.

The governor earlier said that the product should be taken out of the counter because chances of survival are very slim once it is ingested.

A task force created by the provincial government has linked Gramoxone to the death of 17 persons in Benguet since 2007.
Only two cases were known to have survived.

The task force said that for 2009 alone, at least 13 suicide victims were recorded after ingesting the herbicide, which is used widely to eliminate weeds.

The withdrawal of the product is supported by the FPA’s regional personnel in Benguet who called on the FPA’s central office to stop the sale of the commodity.  

Joseph Andre Jon Martinez, provincial FPA officer for Benguet, has called on the distributing company of the herbicide to offer alternative products as part of its social responsibility.

Data presented by the FPA showed that while other brands of pesticides and fungicides were used in some suicide cases, it is gramoxone that appeared to have the most victims.

The toxic chemical is known to attack the vital organs like lungs, kidneys, and liver leading to death.