Imee: Most Cabinet officials ‘violently’ object to order barring firms from buying vaccines

Senator Imee Marcos on Monday claimed that most Cabinet officials and staff are "violently" objecting to the "unofficial" draft administrative order restricting some private companies from procuring COVID-19 vaccines for their employees.

It was Marcos who first revealed the existence of the draft order, which she said she got from a person from the Cabinet who is "very angry" about the matter.

"Most of the Cabinet is violently against this refusal of so many industries to be allowed to donate," she said.

"Maraming deputy, maraming secretary, marami ring mga staff na talagang ayaw na ayaw itong nangyayari [Many deputies, many securities, and many members of staff don't want this to happen]," she added.

According to the draft order, the Department of Health (DOH) and the National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF) will review all requests from private entities to procure vaccines “to ensure that private entities who will be part of the agreement are not in any way related to the tobacco industry, products covered under EO 51 series of 1986 or the 'National Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, Breastmilk Supplement and Other Related Products' or other products in conflict with public health.”

This means that the said document was referring to manufacturers of  tobacco, milk, sugar, soft drinks, and liquor, as well as multinational companies.

The document in question outlines selected parts of the draft implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act.

Marcos said that most of the Cabinet officials would like to accept vaccine donations, considering that the doses procured by the national government have yet to arrive.

"I think [many] are very sensible and practical and realize that this is one way for us to get the vaccines that we deserve," she said.

"Sabihin ko na lang na significant yung objection sa ganung mga prohibition. Hindi ko alam kung majority kasi they haven't taken a vote but there are those who seriously question such a policy in a time of crisis," she added.

Marcos believes that the restriction on private companies to procure COVID-19 vaccines would be "tantamount to mass murder."

Nevertheless, Marcos said testing czar Secretary Vince Dizon called her earlier and promised that the prohibition will be removed from the final draft of the IRR.

If not, they should be prepared to be questioned about it once the budget deliberations for 2022 begins, she said.

"Hopefully they are true to their word. I am counting on them to delete these absurd provisions that will be really deleterious for our vaccine rollout," she added.

The DOH has said the contents of the IRR for the COVID-19 vaccination law are still being deliberated, and the provisions in the draft order are "not final."

"The DOH emphasizes that the national government commits to provide all Filipinos equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines following the prioritization criteria and list approved by the Inter-Agency Task on Emerging Infectious Diseases," it said in a statement.

"Any provisions that may be perceived to discriminate against any sector of the population from accessing COVID-19 vaccines is not considered in any policy, guideline, protocol that shall be issued by this government," it added. — BM, GMA News