Palace to Congress: Confer with Executive dep’t on additional budget for COVID-19 vaccines

Malacañang on Thursday asked lawmakers pushing for an additional budget for COVID-19 vaccine purchase to discuss with the Executive department the potential funding sources for their proposal.

Lawmakers have lamented the P2.5-billion allocation for COVID-19 vaccines under the proposed 2021 national budget, saying this would only cover 3.9 million of the estimated 110 million Filipinos.

The House of Representatives later proposed an additional P5.5 billion for the vaccine purchase while Senator Panfilo Lacson wanted an increase of P10 billion.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the government will “bow to the wisdom” of the members of Congress should they deem it fit to raise the budget for the vaccines even as they asked them to confer with the Executive branch on the matter.

“We hope that Congress will at least confer with the Executive kung saan nila kukunin ‘yung pondo para itaas ang budget for the vaccine,” Roque said at a news conference.

“But we join Congress in our desire that we should have sufficient funds to pay for the vaccine.”

The government earlier said that at least 20 million Filipinos will receive the vaccine for free.

Priority will be given to poor Filipinos and frontliners such as policemen and soldiers.

The proposed 2021 budget is expected to be approved by Congress later this year. — RSJ, GMA News