Senators will call for an executive session to ask authorities about the cost of the COVID-19 vaccines that the Philippines will purchase from pharmaceutical companies, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said.
In an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel, he maintained their appeal for transparency in the government's negotiations for the acquisition of coronavirus vaccines.
The chamber's Committee of the Whole is set to continue Friday its inquiry on the government's inoculation program.
"We’re going to...an executive session so that they don’t of course violate their non-disclosure agreement. We will ask them to disclose the prices of their purchase of the vaccines, ‘yung amounts na babayaran (the amounts to be paid), for transparency," Zubiri said.
The Senate leader said the Executive department cannot always invoke its non-disclosure deals with the vaccine manufacturers especially it concerns the use of public funds.
"To us, 'yung (the) non-disclosure agreements cannot be used for government funds because we have to properly account it. Importante po ito (This is important). That is the key to transparency," he said.
"Hindi naman puwede nating sabihin na: ‘Ah, huwag kayong mag-aalala, kami na ang bahala dito, kami ang may alam ng presyo, pero huwag kayong magalala, hindi tayo dehado.’ Hindi po puwede ang ganon sa gobyerno, dahil may CoA po tayo," he added.
(We cannot just say: 'Don't worry, we will handle this, we know the prices, but don't worry, we will not be on the losing end.’ We can't allow that in government, because we have a Commission on Audit)
The government has already bought some 25 million COVID vaccines from Sinovac, with an initial 50,000 doses to arrive in the country next month.
Zubiri said he finds the deal "worrisome" as he echoed concerns on the "low" efficacy of the Chinese drugmaker's product.
International reports said Sinovac's vaccine was only about 50.4 percent effective in preventing coronavirus infection in a late-stage clinical trial in Brazil.
Still, officials in the Eexecutive department defended it, insisting that the Chinese government has even offered the Philippines the "best price" for its purchase.
"It's also a matter of trust. Kailangan maipakita po natin sa ating mga kababayan na ito'y ligtas na mga bakuna (We have to show our countrymen that these vaccines are safe), because we had this issue on the Dengvaxia. We want to make sure that people will satisfied and will be given at least a measure of trust that these vaccines are effective," he said.
"But in (all) fairness, I trust Sec. (Carlito) Galvez, he’s a good man. I’m glad he’s on top of the vaccine situation. Ang request lang namin (Our only request) is let’s be transparent about it," he appealed.