Galvez, Roque rebut Lacson’s criticism of vaccination program

MANILA, Philippines — Top officials debunked yesterday insinuations that the administration has failed in its vaccination program, which Sen. Panfilo Lacson criticized for having a measly supply of vaccines despite P126.75 billion in loans for the purpose.

National Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. explained that the high demand and low supply of vaccines worldwide is causing the delay in the delivery of vaccines to the Philippines.

“Even if you dig the ground, you cannot find a vaccine because there is a problem in the supply,” the seemingly exasperated Galvez quipped in Filipino at yesterday’s press briefing yesterday in Malacañang.

He also sought to correct the public’s impression over Lacson’s statements and made a detailed account of vaccines being purchased by government.

“One senator has said that we borrowed more than P126 billion for the vaccines. I’d like to correct that – our allocation for vaccines is only $1.3 billion, so more or less that’s P60 billion. As of now, our mode of payment is upon completion of what we refer to as supply agreements,” Galvez said in Filipino.

He said the government has cornered deals to acquire the vaccines, which will arrive by batches by end of the month and more from various brands in the next few months.

Galvez said the government follows the stringent requirements of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as it complies with supply agreements with the manufacturers.

He explained that the government’s agreement with Moderna is worth P13 million, which is now pending with World Bank for their further evaluation. Payments will be made after definitive delivery has been made, Galvez said.

For ADB, Galvez said the government has started talks for the acquisition of vaccines for Novavax and Johnson & Johnson.

Galvez said the vaccines will be available for the general population by third or fourth quarter of the year.

The government will be working for the acquisition of about three million doses of vaccines from Gamaleya Institute for the Sputnik V vaccines, which recently got emergency use authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The government is also looking at ordering from Sinovac an additional two million doses for April, which will cost P1.4 billion.

Galvez is also happy about the deal for acquisition of Moderna vaccines through the Ayala Group and the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) which was signed the other day.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said the loans do not reach the government coffers, parrying insinuations of possible corruption in the government’s handling of funds.

He seconded Galvez’s explanation that the funds or loans from financial institutions such as the World Bank and ADB go directly to manufacturers.

Makabayan bloc hits slow vaccination

Militant lawmakers in the House also slammed what they described as the government’s slow and inefficient vaccination program against COVID-19.

Members of the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives questioned why the government is relying mainly on donated vaccines, despite the billions of pesos already borrowed or provided in the budget for the inoculation program.

“Ordinary Filipinos cannot be blamed for judging the Duterte administration’s pandemic response as criminally inept, incompetent and an agony for the people,” read the six-member group’s statement. – Edu Punay