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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 18) — Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Friday dismissed allegations he caused the delay in the vaccine deal with US drugmaker Pfizer, adding the papers that took him 17 days to sign does not specifically assure 10 million doses for the Philippines by January.
He belied the specifications for supply and shipment mentioned by Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., who brokered the deal with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Philippine Ambassador to the US Babe Romualdez. Locsin said the 10 million doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine were supposed to arrive in Clark, Pampanga in January 2021, but someone bungled the deal. Senator Panfilo Lacson identified Duque as the suspect.