Duterte wants gov’t-to-gov’t deal on COVID-19 vaccine purchase

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the Department of Health (DOH) to first establish a government-to-government transaction on the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines, saying that transacting with private firms may result in anomalies.

In a meeting Monday night, a part of which was aired by government media on Tuesday morning, Duterte instructed Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to ensure that the country’s negotiating team will look to settle first a government-to-government deal.

He rejected the vaccine procurement arrangement where the government directly buys from pharmaceutical companies.

“I just want a clear picture of how we should go about with their… But my sense, Secretary (Duque), is that it should be a government-to-government transaction because it will be good,” Duterte said.

“And tell your men if they are into these negotiations that place first a government-to-government transaction. I hate  ‘yang ano — ayaw ko ‘yung private persons, magbili tayo sa private Chinese businessmen. Diyan magkakaloko-lokohan eh. Kagaya ngayon, umatras yata kasi hindi yata nakapag-agree doon sa mga terms nila parang partnership to deal with the Philippine government,” he added.

Duterte, however, did not specify which Chinese firm he was talking about. But China state-owned firm Sinopharm recently called off plans to hold trials here in the country.

This was not the first time the President took a swipe at pharmaceutical companies.

In a speech in September, Duterte slammed Western drugmakers for asking the Philippines for an advance payment for their yet-to-be-developed COVID-19 vaccines.

“That’s one thing wrong about the Western countries. It’s all profit, profit, profit,” Duterte said.

“That’s one thing wrong with these Western companies. That’s why I said we will give preference to Russia and China — provided that their vaccine is as good as any other in the market,” he said, speaking partly in Filipino.

Last week, China’s Sinovac Biotech has submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Philippines its application to conduct Phase 3 of clinical trials of its COVID-19 vaccine in the country. This is after the Chinese firm hurdled the vaccine experts panel’s initial evaluation.

Sinovac is the first drugmaker to get the panel’s green light. The panel is also evaluating the COVID-19 vaccines of Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen subsidiary for late-stage trials.

Phase 3 is where thousands of patients have to be inoculated with the potential vaccine. It is also usually the final step before approval for mass use.

JPV