Vaccines mess showed how much gov't underestimated COVID-19, says Makabayan Bloc

The failure of the Philippine government to secure 10 million doses of Pfizer vaccines showed that it underestimated the problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Makabayan Bloc in the House of Representatives said on Wednesday.

The lawmakers made the remark after it was reported that Health Secretary Francisco Duque III supposedly failed to submit the required Confidentiality Disclosure Agreement (CDA) on time to secure 10 million doses of the vaccine, thus costing the Philippines its chance to get the vaccines by January.

"Itong nangyayari ngayong kontrobersiya dito sa acquisition or procurement ng vaccine is again emblematic doon sa pagmamaliit ng kasalukuyang administrasyon sa problem ng COVID-19 pandemic," Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Zarate said in a virtual press conference.

Zarate recalled that back in January, the government also underestimated calls to impose a lockdown amid the then growing cases of COVID-19 in China.

He added that the death of a Chinese national in the Philippines due to COVID-19, which was the first recorded fatality in the country, should have triggered the government to implement a lockdown, but this did not happen.

"Minaliit nila yung kahalagahan na mag-submit ng disclosure agreement, minaliit nila ang kahalagahan na mag-declare ng health emergency para sana maaga naka-procure ng mga personal protective equipment at iba pang mga pangangailangan," Zarate said.

"Nang lumala na ang problema, yung naging tugon nila ay militaristang solusyon," he added.

Zarate also questioned the insistence of the Duterte administration to prioritize the COVID-19 vaccine being developed by the Chinese firm Sinovac over other vaccines.

"Kailangan maimbestigahan ito especially doon sa panawagan ng mga health professionals dito sa Sinovac dahil maraming question pa sa bakunang ito," Zarate said.

"While walang 100% na available na bakuna ngayon na makapagsabi na 100% silang gamot o panlaban sa COVID-19, mas maraming tanong na dapat masagot tungkol dito sa vaccines mula sa Tsina," he added.

Bayan Muna party-list Representative Ferdinand Gaite said that there might be some individuals who would profit from the government's procurement of a COVID-19 vaccine.

He pointed out that Sinovac was relatively more expensive than other vaccines, at P3,629.50 for two doses compared to Pfizer at P2,379, and yet it is still the top pick of the government.

"So bakit merong parang pagkiling sa China vaccines? Sabi nga, in terms of testing, trials, hindi pa rin ito umabot doon sa antas na inabot ng Pfizer at ibang vaccine," Gaite said.

"Kaya talagang itong issue ng vaccines ay posibleng meron na namang makikinabang to the detriment ng mamamayang Pilipino," he added.

Duque, in defending himself, earlier said the health secretary could not sign the CDA on behalf of the national government, prompting him, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. to sign the CDA separately.

“When you go through a process, you cannot just be hurrying up things just like that. You have to be prudent and cautious especially because you are talking about a novel vaccine,” Duque said in a television interview.

Malacanang said President Rodrigo Duterte did not see any "no major lapse" on the part of Duque amid allegations thrown at him, although he asked the health secretary to explain his side in public. -NB, GMA News