Focus on COVID-19 vaccines instead of Cha-cha, Robredo spox urges gov’t

The camp of Vice President Leni Robredo on Thursday urged the government to work on ensuring there is enough supply of COVID-19 vaccines for all Filipinos instead of resuming deliberations on Charter change (Cha-cha).

Barry Gutierrez, Robredo’s spokesperson, issued the remark after the House of Representatives announced that it is planning to resume its deliberations on Cha-cha next week.

“Pwede bang tiyakin muna natin na magkaka bakuna ang bawat Pilipino bago mag aksaya na naman ng oras diyan sa ChaCha?” Gutierrez said in a statement.

The private sector has ordered six million doses of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca, with half going to the government and the other half going to private sector employees.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. had said the country lost 10 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine that was supposed to be delivered in January after an official “dropped the ball.”

Senator Panfilo Lacson, later on, said it was Health Secretary Francisco Duque III who failed to work on the necessary documentary requirement, namely, the Confidentiality Disclosure Agreement.

Duque, who insisted there was no shortcoming when it came to vaccine procurement, earlier said that the vaccination program could start within the first half of 2021 or the start of the second quarter of 2021.

“It's amazing that even as we continue to struggle with COVID-19, lost jobs, and a shrinking economy, we have ‘leaders’ who still find ways to waste our people's time and money,” Gutierrez said.

Ako Bicol party-list Representative Alfredo Garbin Jr. insisted that the hearings on Cha-cha will not be about amendments on political provisions such as term extensions for lawmakers.

Asked why the House would reopen Cha-cha talks amid the pandemic, Garbin said they are aiming to make economic provisions less rigid so that foreign direct investments could come in to help alleviate the impact of the health crisis to the country's economy.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon has expressed disapproval over the deliberations, saying that “it will be a total waste of time.”

The Philippines has reported a total of 482,083 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 449,052 recoveries and 9,356 fatalities. — Joahna Lei Casilao/BM, GMA News