(Eagle News) – Malacanang defended the Philippine government’s bilateral negotiations on COVID-19 vaccine acquisition for the country, saying that almost all countries are doing the same thing.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that with the current global health emergency on the virus pandemic, the centralized acquisition of vaccines through the government is needed to systematize the procedure and to get the best possible deal.
“Una, bakit gobyerno ang nag-aangkat ng bakuna? Well, tatandaan natin na tayo po ay nasa panahon ng isang global health emergency kung saan naging mabilis ang paggawa at pagbili ng bakuna. Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) ang umiiral ngayon po; hindi po normal na mga panahon,” he explained in a Palace briefing on Monday, Jan. 18, 2021.
There are also limited vaccine supplies in the world market, he noted. And government buying in bulk is the best way to get the cheapest price of vaccines.
This is why, Roque said, that private individuals and firms are not allowed to deal and buy directly from vaccine manufacturers.
Under an EUA system, vaccines are not for commercial sale.
“Kasi Emergency Use Authorization nga lang po, hindi pa siya commercial distribution. Magkakaroon po kasi ng ligal na pananagutan ang mga drug companies kung magbibenta na sila na parang aprubado na siya for general use samantalang EUA pa lang po ang nabibigay dito sa mga binibenta sa merkado,” he said.
“Ito rin po ang sagot sa tanong, ‘Bakit hindi commercial ang pag-angkat?’ Well, kasi nga po EUA lang po ‘no. At lahat po ng mga kumpanya, dahil EUA pa lang at wala pa po silang license for commercial sale, eh ang pagbili ay dumadaan po sa G to G or gobyerno sa gobyerno,” he said.
Roque said that almost all countries are resorting to a government-to-government approach or centralized negotiations in getting the much-needed vaccines.
He said that this is the case for countries like the United States, United Kindom, Singapore, Australia and Germany.
“Wala pa po tayong alam na talagang mga pribadong kumpanyang bumibili kasi bawal pa po ang commercial sale,” he said.
(Eagle News Service)