Senate inquiry into wasted vaccines set
A woman holds a small bottle labeled with a “Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccine” sticker and a medical syringe in this illustration taken October 30, 2020. (REUTERS FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — The erstwhile aide of former President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday supported calls for the government to make public the details of the nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) that the Duterte administration had entered into with suppliers of COVID-19 vaccines.
Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, chair of the Senate health committee, also said the Department of Health (DOH) should explain why over 31 million doses, valued at P15.6 billion, were just wasted due to logistical issues.
He said he would initiate a Senate inquiry and summon the former Cabinet officials who signed the NDAs as representatives of the Philippine government.
“I am for transparency. If it will not violate anything, then the [NDAs] should now be disclosed,” Go told reporters.
“I am always for the truth … And I’m sure former President Duterte is also for transparency,” he added.
During the Senate marathon deliberations on the DOH’s proposed budget for 2023, Sen. Pia Cayetano disclosed that the wasted vaccines were just 12 percent of the total volume of vaccine shots that the Philippines had purchased and received as donations.
Cayetano, who defended the DOH’s budget, said this was still within the allowable wastage rate of 30 percent set by the World Health Organization (WHO).
“There was then a statement made by WHO that up to 25 percent is acceptable. I don’t think it’s meant to be an excuse, but it’s just showing the trends and the realities,” the senator said.
But Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said it was unacceptable that billions of pesos in taxpayer money were squandered.
“Indeed, it’s P15 billion down the drain. But it seems it means nothing to them because [the wastage is] still ‘within acceptable limits,’” Pimentel said.
