‘We dropped the ball again:’ Locsin says PH missed possible deal for 50 M syringes

(REUTERS/file photo)

MANILA, Philippines —  The government “dropped the ball again” on an offer for 50 million syringes for COVID-19 vaccines, according to Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.

“We dropped the ball again; this time offer of 50 million syringes,” Locsin said over Twitter on Saturday.

“Discussed the need in Washington DC and got a response prepared to go into details with PH agencies but they refused to discuss the ball let alone catch it. First Pfizer, then Moderna. Ok, I see the pattern,” he added.

We dropped the ball again; this time offer of 50 million syringes. Discussed the need in Washington DC and got a response prepared to go into details with PH agencies but they refused to discuss the ball let alone catch it. First Pfizer, then Moderna. Ok, I see the pattern.

— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) December 11, 2021

In December last year, Locsin also bared that the government missed out on a chance to secure 10 million doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine because “someone dropped the ball.”

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro ” Teddy boy” Locsin Jr. (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

Senator Panfilo Lacson later said the country could have secured the delivery of 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer as early as January this year if Health Secreatry Francisco Duque III immediately worked on the signing of the Confidential Disclosure Agreement with the pharmaceutical firm.

Duque, however, cited protocols in signing the CDA.

“There was no dropping the ball. Ang ginawa natin dito (What we did here was) due diligence. We cannot be reckless. We cannot be signing documents without legal clearance,” Duque said in an earlier interview.

The World Health Organization (WHO) earlier warned of a possible shortage of syringes for COVID-19 vaccines in 2022. The Department of Health said that the government has already ordered 44 million syringes even before the warning from WHO.

gsg