Vaccines from ‘friends’ China, Russia not for free: Philippine president Duterte

MANILA, Aug 18, 2020, PhilStar. President Rodrigo Duterte said he would ask China and Russia in the Philippines could purchase their potential coronavirus vaccines in instalments, The Philippine STar reported.

In a speech late Monday, Duterte thanked Beijing and Moscow for expressing their willingness to provide the country vaccines that could potentially put an end to the health crisis.

“I cannot overemphasize my debt of gratitude,” he said, noting the Philippines will not get the potential vaccines for free.

The president said he may ask for a “credit line” from Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin if the vaccines are too expensive.

“Bibilhin natin ‘yan. Kaya lang kung mahal, if it is quite expensive then I will ask the—my friend President Putin and President Xi Jinping to give us a credit, parang utang, a credit line but we will pay not in one payment but by instalments,” Duterte said

“I would always tell them that we are willing and if we are short of money by this time because all of the economy of the world, individual countries, have fallen flat,” he added.

Last month, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said the government’s plan is to conduct the vaccination of 20 million people—or 18.5% of the country’s 108 million population. He said the government is allotting P20 billion for the plan to purchase at least 40 million doses of COVID-19.

Duterte has repeatedly asked the public to endure coronavirus restrictions as he pinned the nation’s hopes of returning to normal on a vaccine.

Malacañang last week laid out a schedule for Sputnik V, Russia’s coronavirus vaccine, with the Moscow-funded clinical trials in the archipelago expected to take place from October to March next year despite growing concerns on the vaccine’s safety and efficacy.

If the trials are successful, the country’s Food and Drug Administration may approve the vaccine. It may be deployed in May next year.

The president earlier asked China to give the Philippines priority access to coronavirus vaccines it is developing.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country has so far reached 164,474—the highest in Southeast Asia.

Gaea Katreena Cabico