Bayan: If we publicize cost of infra projects, all the more for Covid vaccines

Bayan Secretary-General Renato Reyes. INQUIRER.net file photo / NOY MORCOSO

MANILA, Philippines — An activist group has pushed for the publication of COVID-19 vaccine prices even as the government has already maintained that it is bound by confidentiality agreements with pharmaceutical companies.

According to Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), government officials’ claims — that they cannot divulge the real price due to ongoing negotiations — is not enough reason to withhold the true prices of the vials, stressing that the lack of transparency invites corruption.

Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes added that if people like to scrutinize the expenditures for road and infrastructure projects, then all the more should the government reveal the prices of the vaccines that had been procured.

“There should be transparency in the pricing of COVID-19 vaccines. The so-called ‘non-disclosure agreement’ with vaccine makers is unjust and against public interest,” Reyes said in a message to reporters on Monday. “Bakit itatago sa publiko ang totoong presyo? How are we to check corruption?”

(Why hide the true prices of the vaccines from the public?  How are we to check corruption?)

“Kung kalsada at gusali nga hinihingi natin na gawing publiko ang halaga, bakuna pa kaya na bilyong-bilyong piso ang ilalaan at buong populasyon ang gagamit?” he asked.

(If we are asking the government to publicize the prices of road projects and buildings, then why not for the vaccines that would cost billions and it will be used by the whole population?)

The different prices of the Coronavac, made by the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech — one of the vaccines that the national government is procuring for its national immunization plan, has raised concerns among government officials and the general public.

The huge discrepancy between the selling prices of Sinovac in the Philippines and in other countries like Singapore prompted questions on whether the Philippines’ procurement is riddled with corruption.

Senator Panfilo Lacson mentioned in a series of tweets on Sunday that the Sinovac vaccine costs around $5 or around P240 per dose in some instances, but it goes for around $38 or around P1,800 in the country.

Despite the insistence of the government on the confidentiality clause, vaccine czar and Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Disease implementing chief Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said that the Sinovac vaccines would not go above P700.

Galvez also dismissed an erroneous reports about the Sinovac vaccines, this, despite Senator Sonny Angara insisting that the original vaccine prices which skyrocketed to over P3,600 per two doses came from the Department of Health around November.

The IATF official also noted that they are not divulging vaccine prices because they do not want to compromise deals the country is making with vaccine manufacturers.

Still, Bayan stressed that prices should ultimately be made public as it is any other government project that the people must know about.

“Hindi argumento ang ‘negotiations’ sa mga pharmaceuticals para hindi ilahad ang totoong presyo ng bakuna. Ang kawalan ng transparency ay imbitasyon para sa kurapsyon. The public deserves to know,” he added.

(Being in negotiations with pharmaceutical companies is not a sufficient argument to hide the prices of the vaccines.  The lack of transparency invites corruption.  The public deserves to know.)

JPV