Locsin: Duque must see pandemic through

MANILA, Philippines — Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. believes Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, whom he confirmed as the one who had “dropped the ball” in negotiations with US drug maker Pfizer for COVID-19 vaccine supply to the country, must stay in his post to see the pandemic through.

He said the Philippines was assured of getting 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer by January until “somebody dropped the ball.”

“Ah, basta, we all believe he must stay as Health Secretary to see this pandemic through to its end – whether he dropped the ball, didn’t know what to do with the ball or was told that a country whose only national sport other than patintero is basketball lacked a court to play ball,” Locsin tweeted.

He also believed President Duterte will be given a valedictory victory in 2022 for a successful job in handling the COVID crisis.

“And this is true, come 2022, COVID will be defeated and the electorate will give the departing Duterte a valedictory victory for a successful job done,” he said.

Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said in an interview on CNN Philippines on Monday that the Philippines is not yet ready to handle millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses by January 2021 due to logistics.

The Pfizer vaccines are to be stored in an ultra-cold freezer, thermal shipping container or refrigerator. Cold storage is crucial to COVID-19 vaccine distribution.

Romualdez said it takes time to prepare for everything.

“It is just as well that we were not able to get this because we were not ready to receive them anyway. It takes a lot of logistical work to do all of this,” Romualdez said.

“And even if we were able to close that deal, it will probably be very difficult for us to bring all of them. I guess it’s better that the deal didn’t push through,” he said.