OVER POSSIBLE ‘ADVERSE EVENTS’

Senate mulls indemnification law for COVID-19 vaccines

Lawmakers are mulling an indemnification law for Filipinos who might suffer adverse effects from COVID-19 vaccines, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said on Saturday.

"Dalawang bagay ang matingkad pero 'yung isa di kailangan ng batas pero 'yung isa kailangan 'yung indemnification program, basta government ang naggamit, ang nagbigay kailangang i-demnify ng gobyerno, wala sa batas natin 'yun, 'yun ang isa sa mga gagawin," Sotto said in a radio interview.

Sotto made the comment as Health Secretary Francisco Duque III previously asked senators to craft an indemnification law

While some lawmakers have called for a right to public information regarding the government's dealings with pharmaceutical firms in the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines, Sotto said a privacy committee is excluded from the rule, citing a Supreme Court ruling.

"Maliwanag nu'ng meeting namin ni [Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.] talagang legally bound sila na i-honor ang non-disclosure agreements kasi may ibang gobyerno na umoorder, iba singil nila doon kapag nalaman magagalit, at yayariin sila at nagkakaproblema sila, nagkasunduan na ng pharma companies, at gawain na pala nila noon yun," he said.

Sotto has previously confirmed that Galvez was obligated to keep mum on vaccine costs.

"Ngayon alam ko na ngayon at ibang senador ang tunay na halaga na kukunin natin ay may matibay na pangako na lahat ng gagalawin nila ay malalaman natin ang kontrata at ang presyo malalaman at malalaman natin, 'yun ang kompromiso na napag-usapan kaya 'di na namin tinouch ang issue kasi may assurance nang ganu'n," Sotto said, amid the ongoing Senate inquiry into the government’s COVID-19 vaccination program. — DVM, GMA News