PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday, December 26, 2020, said the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and the United States will push through if the latter fails to deliver at least 20 million doses of a vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
In a meeting with infectious diseases specialists in Malacañang on Saturday evening, Duterte expressed doubt that the US will be able to deliver the vaccines.
"'Yung Visiting Forces Agreement matatapos na. Ngayon 'pag hindi ako pumayag, aalis talaga sila. 'Pag di sila naka-deliver maski minimum ng 20 million vaccines, better get out. No vaccine, no stay here," he said.
"Do not believe in that na America delivering kaagad. Hindi nga nila ma-deliver agad sa kanilang lugar, dito pa? Itong mga Amerikano, maniwala kayo. Naging cynic ako sa kanila. Kung ibigay, eh di ibigay. If you want to help, you deliver (and) stop talking. What we need is the vaccine, not your verbose speeches,” he added.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Director General Rolando Domingo has confirmed that drug manufacturer Pfizer filed on December 23 for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of its vaccine candidate against Covid-19.
Roque said it will take the FDA 21 days to evaluate and approve the EUA, but vaccination would start as soon as stocks become available.
In February, Duterte ordered the revocation of the VFA, a pact since 1999 which permits the conduct of joint US and Philippine troops’ military training.
This came following the cancellation of the US visa of Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, a former police chief and principal implementer of the government’s drug war.
Duterte has suspended the abrogation of the VFA amid the pandemic.
Meanwhile, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said a vaccination program against Covid-19 may start in May 2021 at the earliest.
He said they were working to secure 20 million and 10 million doses for the government and private sector, respectively.
Galvez said the government might have contracts with Novavax and Pfizer by January. It also has an initial arrangement for 20 million doses with Moderna.
“So all in all sir if we will get Novavax, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, J&J, and also Moderna, we might have more or less 80 million doses. And also recently, Gamaleya of Russia also negotiated for another 25 million,” Galvez told the President Saturday.
He brushed aside accusations that the government is focusing only on a few vaccine sources.
“It is a portfolio. Basically, ang mauuna, sir, is AstraZeneca ‘yung magiging contract natin,” he said.
“Next is ang Novavax from Serum of India. Next is Pfizer, and then maybe Johnson & Johnson. We have also the discussion of the head of terms and also the supply agreement and also with Moderna; and then followed by Gamaleya and also the Sinovac,” he added. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo / SunStar Philippines)