Palace: Private sector purchase of COVID-19 jabs still via tripartite deal

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Monday clarified that while President Rodrigo Duterte wants the private sector’s procurement of COVID-19 vaccines expedited, the acquisition must still be done via a tripartite deal with the national government.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an online Palace briefing that what the President only wants was for the process to be accelerated.

Duterte, in a pre-recorded briefing aired Monday night, said he ordered vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. to allow the private sector to import vaccines “at will.”

“Lilinawin ko lang po, ang pag-aangkat po ay sa pamamagitan pa rin ng tripartite agreement,” Roque said.

(I will just make it clear that importing vaccines will still be via tripartite agreement.)

“Bakit po? Dahil lahat po ito ay covered pa lang ng emergency use authorization, wala pa pong approval for commercial use ang kahit anong bakuna,” he added.

(Why? Because all vaccines are under emergency use authorization, there is no approval for commercial use for any vaccine.)

Roque stressed that under the recently passed COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021, the government will shoulder the indemnity of those who will experience any adverse effects of the vaccines.

“So ano pong nagbago? Ang nagbago lang po eh ‘yung mga pribadong sektor, kung talagang gusto nilang umangkat, ipagbigay alam lang po sa atin, sa ating vaccine czar at gagawin po natin ang ating tripartite agreement,” Roque said.

(What changed? The only thing that changed is that the private sector who wants to import vaccines must let the vaccine czar know and we will craft the tripartite agreement.)

Gov’t controlling procurement?

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said the President wanted to hasten the process to remove the perception of the government “controlling” the vaccine procurement.

“Hindi po ganoon,” Galvez said in the same briefing when asked if private companies will no longer be asked to sign a tripartite agreement.

“Ang direktiba po ng ating Presidente dapat pabilisin po ang proseso. Yun po ang kanyang directive na dapat wala pong delay para wala pong perception na cinocontrol po natin yung tinatawag nating procurement,” he added.

(The President’s directive is to expedite the process. That’s his directive, there should be no delay so that there will be no more perception we are controlling the procurement.)

Galvez also stressed the vaccines to be procured by the private sector should not be sold for profit.

KGA