Velasco: House expects to OK vaccine indemnity bill on 2nd, 3rd reading by Monday

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives is expected to pass a bill providing for an indemnity fund for Covid-19 vaccines on the second and third reading by Monday, Feb. 22, Speaker Lord Allan Velasco said on Friday.

This comes after President Rodrigo Duterte certified as urgent House Bill No. 8648 and its counterpart bill in the upper chamber, Senate Bill No. 2057. Both bills seek to establish a vaccine indemnity fund and fast-track the procurement of vaccines.

“As soon as we were apprised that the indemnification fund is a requirement of the vaccine manufacturers, we wasted no time in filing House Bill 8648, which would allow emergency procurement of vaccines and provide the required indemnification fund” Velasco, who is author of the measure, said in a statement.

“With President Rodrigo Roa Duterte certifying the measure as urgent, the House is expected to approve HB 8648 on second and third reading by Monday,” he added.

Currently, House Bill No. 8648 is up for second reading after it was approved by the House panel on appropriations and sponsored in plenary.

Aside from this, Velasco said that the lower chamber is also prepared to pass Bayanihan 3 or the Bayanihan to Arise As One Act “which proposes a P420-billion fund for the implementation of much-needed Covid-19 response and recovery interventions, including a P25-billion budget for Covid-19 treatment and vaccines.”

“Rest assured that the House will continue to pass legislation that would help sustain the national government’s efforts in addressing the pandemic, so we can all return to normal at the soonest possible time,” the House Speaker said.

/MUF