MANILA, Philippines— At the height of the controversy hounding the government’s vaccination program, two senators and a Cabinet member “comforted” each other as they shared their disappointments by the turn of events.
Senator Panfilo Lacson recalled feeling bad for President Rodrigo Duterte when he and his fellow Philippine Military Academy cavaliers—Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez – recently talked about the issue in a Viber Chat.
“Naawa kami kay Presidente Duterte kasi baka napapalusutan dahil sa tiwala nyang sobra sa kanyang mga tao,” Lacson said on the Senate floor, right after delivering a privilege speech on the vaccination program.
(We feel bad for President Duterte, who may have been deceived because he trusts his men too much)
“The three of us being cavaliers or graduates of the Philippine Military Academy, we were comforting each other actually. And we also expressed our disappointments,” he said.
While Galvez expressed disappointment over the “seeming lack of trust” of some senators in the vaccination program, Lacson said he also aired the same sentiment over allegations that the Senate was “demonizing” the vaccination team.
Lacson has repeatedly questioned the government’s seeming preference over Sinovac’s vaccine, which is said to be the second most expensive despite its supposed low efficacy rate.
On the other hand, Galvez has been defending the government’s plan to purchase the Sinovac’s vaccine, denying all allegations against it.
The issue is now the subject of separate investigations by the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Dela Rosa, meanwhile, was mum about his conversation with Lacson and Galvez when asked to elaborate in a text message.
ac