Duterte vouches for Galvez: I-pusta ko presidency ko

President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday vouched for vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr., who was recently criticized for his refusal to disclose the cost of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines the government was hoping to procure.

“[Y]ou know, Secretary Galvez, he is doing everything he can. Mabuti’t natapos na giparangkahan ko talaga sila,” Duterte was quoted as saying in a statement.

The President was delivering a speech to servicemen at the Kuta Heneral Teodulfo Bautista Headquarters in Jolo, Sulu.

“Ang sabi ko ipusta ko ‘yung presidency ko, walang graft ‘yan at si Secretary Galvez kilala ko,” Duterte said.

“Para sa akin I was there in Marawi when we were fighting the Islamists and I saw in him the… Kaya noong pag-retire niya, kinuha ko. Tapos ngayon ito ibinigay ko sa kanya lahat, ‘Ikaw, ikaw lang ang magturo nito’,” he added.

Lawmakers questioned the government’s procurement of vaccines after Malacañang expressed a preference for the vaccine developed by Chinese firm Sinovac.

Galvez previously said the Philippines would lose its 148 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines if the prices of the vaccines were disclosed at this point.

Duterte also backed Galvez on the non-disclosure of the prices of the COVID-19 vaccines that the Philippines will buy.

Meanwhile, the President, again, reiterated that he had no problem with local governments buying their vaccines against COVID-19.

“Now, let me be very clear. Doon sa mga local governments, wala akong objection kung magbili ang local government para iturok doon sa mga tao. Okay ‘yan. Walang inggitan ‘to, puro tayo gobyerno,” he said.

However, he stressed that the vaccines must be cleared with the Food and Drug Administration.

“Ang akin lang is that kung ano man ang i-ano ninyo, i-vaccinate, just clear it with the FDA… So it’s a mandatory requirement. Other than that, I have nothing to do. That’s a requirement of law, sunod lang tayo. Wala kaming ano,” he said. — DVM, GMA News