(Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte said that a government to government transaction would be done in the acquisition of vaccines for COVID-19 from China for the Philippines to prevent any incidence of corruption and delay.
In his address to the nation aired on Tuesday, Oct. 27, Duterte said that he believes that the Chinese government already has a vaccine.
He said that going through Chinese businessmen or private groups is not the way to acquire the vaccine, as he wants to remove any source of corruption in the acquisition of vaccines.
The Philippine leader also assured that the Philippine government will pay for the vaccines it would acquire for the population.
“To the Chinese government. You need not look for partners. We can make it government to government. I will pay you,” Duterte said.
The President was reacting to reports that a Chinese pharmaceutical firm had a supposed meeting with partners for the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines here in the Philippines.
“Let me tell everybody. Hindi kami manghingi. We will pay,” Duterte said in his address to the nation.
“So maganda sana government to government ang transaction. Walang corruption. Wala lahat kasi government to government,” he said.
Duterte said that he already had a meeting with Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian who assured him that the vaccine against COVID-19 is “already there.”
He said that distributing the vaccine is just a “matter of time.”
The President also told Health Secretary Francisco Duque III that a government-to-government transaction was what he preferred.
He told Duque that if his men at the Department of Health was involved in the talks with the Chinese pharmaceutical firm and other private groups, this should be stopped.
“But my sense, secretary, is that it should be a government to government transaction because it will be good. Tell your men if they are into these negotiations. That government to government tayo,” Duterte said adding that he does not want to deal or buy from private persons or Chinese businessmen.
(Eagle News Service)
