Published December 20, 2020, 1:38 PM
Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go said Sunday he believes Health Secretary Francisco Duque III should take some time to explain to the public what really ensued after they failed to submit the Confidentiality Disclosure Agreement (CDA) that eventually bungled the government’s COVID-19 vaccine deal with Pfizer.
Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go
(OFFICE OF SEN. BONG GO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Go, head of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, said that while he understands Duque’s predicament on the issue, it is best for the Department of Health (DoH) chief to publicly explain his side on the issue to allay the public’s concerns regarding the availability of COVID vaccines in the Philippines.
Locsin, Pompeo talk about reinforcing ‘binding’ South China Sea arbitral ruling
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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 19) Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro “Teddy Boy” Locsin, Jr. and his US counterpart recently talked about reinforcing the “binding nature” of the Philippines’ arbitration win in the South China Sea dispute, the US Department of State disclosed on Saturday.
Locsin also announced his “great phone conversation” with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Friday night. In a tweet, he said the top Washington official committed to try his best to help the Philippines secure COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer following an allegedly bungled deal.
Pompeo to try his best on Philippine bid for Pfizer vaccine Locsin
Published December 19, 2020 11:52am US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will give his best try to help the Philippines get back into the Pfizer vaccine deal after someone dropped the ball, Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Locsin Jr said Saturday. In a Twitter post, Secretary Locsin said he had a chat Friday night with Secretary Pompeo who, during the most serious part of their conversation, promised to try his best to help Philippine ambassador to the United States Babe Romualdez with the country s bid for Pfizer s vaccine. Great phone conversation with Mike Pompeo last night. Lotsa laughs at others. But on the most serious note I asked him to help Babe and I get back even a fraction of the 10 million doses of Pfizer after someone dropped the ball. He’ll give it his best try. Babe’s securing Moderna Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) December 19, 2020
Sen. Vicente Sotto III (Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Sotto, who is set to lead the Senate Committee of the Whole inquiry, was convinced that Duque was indeed at fault for the failure of the government to purchase from the United States-based pharmaceutical the first batch of coronavirus vaccines.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson had earlier revealed that it was Duque whom Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin was referring to when he said on Twitter last Tuesday that he and Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez could have secured 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer but “someone dropped the ball”.
Published December 17, 2020, 2:54 PM
President Duterte told Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to answer allegations that he was to blame for the delay in the country’s acquisition of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque made the statement after Senator Panfilo Lacson, citing Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez, revealed that it was Duque who “dropped the ball” on the Philippines’ chance to acquire 10 million doses of Pfizer’s vaccine, reportedly set for delivery as early as next month.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte holds a meeting with some members of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang on April 8, 2020.