Most Cabinet execs ‘violently’ against order barring private firms from buying COVID jabs

Sen. Imee Marcos. File photo / Screen grab by Senate PRIB

MANILA, Philippines—Most of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Cabinet is “violently” against the alleged draft Administrative Order (AO) barring companies “in conflict with public health” from procuring COVID-19 vaccines.

Senator Imee Marcos said this on Monday as she disclosed that a “very angry” Cabinet member gave her a copy of the said draft AO.

“Sino nagbigay sakin ng administrative order, isang natatakot, isang galit na galit din na galing Gabinete. Sa awa ng Dyos…most of the Cabinet is violently against this refusal of so many industries to be allowed to donate,” Marcos sad in an online interview with Senate reporters.

(Who gave me the administrative order? It came from someone in the Cabinet who is also very angry…most of the Cabinet is violently against this refusal of so many industries to be allowed to donate.)

“Maraming deputy, maraming secretary, marami na ding mga staff na talagang, na ayaw, ayaw itong nangyayari,” she later added in the interview.

(Many deputy, secretary, and even staff are really against with what’s happening.)

She said most of Cabinet officials are very “sensible” and “practical” that they would like to accept donations of Covid-19 vaccines from anyone especially at this difficult time.

That was why there had been a “significant “ objection from the Cabinet when they learned about the draft AO, Marcos said.

While she reiterated her support for Duterte, the senator could not say the same for the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), which is leading the war against COVID-19.

Marcos then pushed her earlier call to overhaul the task force.

“I truly believe that on many occasions the President has been poorly advised and he himself has admitted that…” she said, noting how Duterte had changed his stand on several issues.

“So siguro pwede naman na na baguhin na rin ang mga lider ng war against COVID. Kapag giyera kailangan ng magagaling,” she added.

(Maybe we can now change the leaders of the war against COVID. We need good people in times of war.)

Malacanang has already clarified that all private companies, including cigarette firms, would be allowed to purchase COVID-19 vaccines provided they enter into tripartite agreements with the national government.

JPV