Vaccine deal with Pfizer still on — Lacson

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Panfilo Lacson confirmed that the Philippines’ negotiation with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccine is still ongoing.
Lacson cited the assurance from Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Romualdez that the new initiative between Pfizer and the Philippines will continue.
“Only pushed back to a later date of delivery possibly June next year because we did not act quick enough on the CDA (Confidential Disclosure Agreement). Other countries got ahead of us like Singapore,” Romualdez said.
Lacson pinned the delay on Health Secretary Francisco Duque III saying the Philippines would have secured the delivery of 10 million doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines as early as January next year had Duque acted on the documentary requirements needed for the deal such as the Confidentiality Disclosure Agreement (CDA).
The deal had been set between United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Locsin as early as July this year.
Lacson said Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez had also assured Ambassador Romualdez and Sec. Locsin that money would be made available.
But Duque denied all allegations saying the process couldn’t just be done in haste.
“There is no such a thing that I did not act quick enough. The thing is, you go through a process. You cannot just be hurrying up things just like that. You have to be prudent and cautious especially because you are talking about a brand-new — a novel vaccine at that,” he said in a statement.
“Tuloy-tuloy lang kami sa mga reviews nung mga conditionalities /provisions and I just wanted to make sure na hindi onerous or disadvantageous to government yung mga provisions,” Duque said adding that he had to refer the matter to the lawyers of Department of Science and Technology (DOST) as well as the lawyers of the Executive Secretary.
He said it was then submitted to him on October 20 and he signed it.
“So there is no such a thing as somebody ‘dropping the ball’. It is really an ongoing negotiation,” the Health Secretary argued.
Meanwhile, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said that should the accusations against Duque be proven true, the health chief may face charges of gross inexcusable negligence which is a violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
“Kung totoo ito na nagkulang ang DOH, gross and inexcusable negligence sa anti-graft law ang posibleng kaso,” Pangilinan concluded. MNP (with reports from Harlene Delgado)