Galvez out to stop fraud in Covid-19 vaccine deals — Lacson

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr answers queries from senators during the continuation of the Senate Committee of the Whole hybrid hearing on the national government’s COVID-19 vaccination program last Friday, January 15, 2021. (Albert Calvelo/Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — Vaccine czar Cartilo Galvez Jr. has assured senators that he would “make it very hard” for people “pursuing their own interest” to overprice the government’s procurement of Covid-19 vaccines, Senate Panfilo Lacson said Thursday.

“I have no doubt about Sec. Galvez’s integrity and his sincerity to accomplish his task. He may have the best of intentions but there may be people pushing him out front to do the talking and explaining to take advantage of his credibility while pursuing their own interests,” Lacson said in a message to reporters.

The senator, following his meeting with Galvez Wednesday night, was asked if he still thinks that there is a possible attempt to overprice the country’s vaccine deals.

“He assured us that he will make it very hard for those people to even have an opening for that opportunity,” the senator added.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Senator Ronald dela Rosa and contact tracing czar Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong also attended the meeting, which Lacson said “went very well.”

Lacson shared that Galvez was able to “explain the issues that need to be clarified.”

A healthcare worker prepares a Pfizer coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination in Los Angeles, California, U.S., January 7, 2021. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

“We advised him to explain in tomorrow’s hearing the same way that he did last night without violating the terms of the agreement with the vaccine suppliers,” he said.

“On our part, we committed to honor and respect those terms so as not to put in jeopardy the deliveries of the vaccines that he said will start within the first quarter of this year,” he added.

Wednesday’s meeting was prompted by President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to Galvez to divulge to Sotto the details of the government’s planned procurement from different vaccine makers.

This, after senators quizzed officials on the prices of the vaccines the government is planning to purchase, particularly on the price tag offered by China’s Sinovac.

Officials have repeatedly refused to divulge the exact negotiated price for the vaccines, citing confidentiality agreements.

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