Sen. Grace Poe. Screen grab / Senate PRIB file photo
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Grace Poe on Friday aired her frustration over the government’s “missed” opportunity to secure the delivery of 10 million doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine as early as January next year.
“It’s really tragic and to an extent criminal on their part for having missed the chance of acquiring 10 million vaccines… We need to vaccinate at least 60 to 70 percent of our population, which is at the minimum 70 million,” Poe said in an interview over CNN Philippines.
“And we are already getting the 10 million supposedly by January but because, again…‘yung leadership ng DOH, urong-sulong, hindi makagawa ng desisyon, hindi makapagbigay ng tamang rekomendasyon. We missed it,” she added.
Poe expressed her dismay after it was disclosed that the Philippines would have secured the delivery of 10 million doses of Pfizer vaccines as early as January next year had Duque worked on necessary documentary requirements, namely the confidentiality disclosure agreement (CDA).
“They’re saying the rollout—still uncertain—will be sometime mid next year. So, that’s how many months from now? People are already fatigued about all of these quarantine requirements and restrictions,” Poe went on.
“The economy is already suffering. How many billions will it cost us to save the health of hundreds and to save our ailing economy?” she added.
Poe also lamented that the supposed indecisiveness on the part of the health secretary in securing the initial doses for the Philippines has left the country and its path to economic recovery in limbo.
“Imagine, it was acquired and our chance to get that was given to Singapore because they could act decisively and we can’t,” she added.
With the Senate Committee of the While set to look into the government’s COVID-19 vaccination plan, Poe said she is looking forward to hearing what Duque and other officials have to say regarding the inoculation program.
In an earlier television interview, Duque said Pfizer never promised to provide the Philippine government with 10 million doses of its vaccine upon the signing of the CDA between the two parties.
Duque had also earlier denied there was negligence on the part of the DOH.
The health chief, in a separate media forum also said the negotiation with Pfizer for its vaccines is ongoing and that “there is no such thing as dropping the ball.”
“If you look at the statement, the negotiations are ongoing and the DOH went through the process of iteration,” he said.