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Zubiri: Bill on LGUs vaccine purchase to maintain national gov't priorities
By JULIA MARI ORNEDO,GMA NewsThe bill seeking to expedite local governments' purchase of vaccines against coronavirus will not undermine the preeminence of national government's vaccination plan, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said Friday.
Zubiri, who sponsors Senate Bill 2042, said LGUs will still need to follow national guidelines for vaccine procurement and deployment.
“No one should fear inequitable distribution. Whether through the national government or the LGUs, our frontliners will still be prioritized for vaccination. The vaccines purchased by LGUs will augment the supply of the national government,” he said in a statement.
A group of healthcare professionals who opposes the measure has warned it could cause a “maldistribution” of vaccines.
"When LGUs and corporations are allowed to procure on their own, then priorities will be defined by [the] capacity to pay rather than need for the vaccine," Dr. Antonio Dans of the Healthcare Professionals Alliance Against COVID-19 said.
Earlier, the group urged LGUs and the private sector to follow the government’s vaccine rollout prioritization list
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But Zubiri pointed out, “This bill was requested by our LGUs, and it will only apply to our LGUs with tripartite agreements. So people do not need to worry about private entities taking advantage of this bill.”
“At this point time, everyone should do their part in helping the national government vaccinate as many people as possible starting with all those in the priority list of recipients,” Zubiri added.
Several LGUs have entered into a tripartite agreement with British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca and the national government for a supply of COVID-19 vaccines.
So far, the Philippines has locked in over 100 million doses, with initial deliveries from China’s Sinovac and Pfizer-BioNTech expected this month.
Meanwhile, Senator Bong Go emphasized that health workers should be first to get vaccinated.
“Sila ang nasa ospital. Mas delikado po sila, dapat natin silang protektahan. Of course, ‘yung mga mahihirap nating kababayan na hindi alam kung saan kukunin itong vaccine, dapat po silang mauna rin at libre po ito dapat sa ating mga kababayang mahirap, at mga senior citizen,” he said.
Go also appealed for the inclusion of athletes who will be competing in upcoming international competitions into the vaccine prioritization list. —LBG, GMA News