Senator Francis Pangilinan on Monday assured the public that the Senate is doing its best for Filipinos in containing the deadly coronavirus disease (COVID-19) by stressing the need for an safe, effective, and efficient vaccine roll-out to curb its spread and eventually bring about economic recovery.
(Senate of the Philippines / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
On Sunday, the number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines breached the 500,000 mark (at 500,577) after 1,800 new cases were logged.
Pangilinan said that Senate in its hearings related to the pandemic broke the pattern of overpricing in various COVID-related products, including the price for the Sinovac vaccine.
“Palagay ko ang nangyari diyan: Nung binusisi ng Senado -- dahil tayo po ang nag-deliver ng privilege speech at humingi ng Committee of the Whole hearing noong December -- noong binusisi eh yun dahil dun at dahil sa mga tanong ng senador ay napababa na ang presyo,” he said in a media interview. (I think this is what had happened: When the Senate started probing it, because I was the one who delivered a privilege speech asking the Senate to constitute itself into a Committee of the Whole last December, the prices went down following questions by senators.)
Pangilinan said the pattern of overpriced COVID-related products has been thwarted in previous Senate hearings.
“Palagay ko ang mayroong nag-iisip na maaaring kumita kaya mataas yung presyo noong una at yun ang sinumite. Tapos noong binusisi na at nabulatlat na eh yon, medyo nabisto yung halaga bakit ganoon kamahal, ayun nagkaroon ngayon ng adjustment kaya mababa na ngayon,” he added. (I think somebody wanted to benefit financially by submitting a high price tag. But when the real facts on the overprices came out, there were adjustments made leading to lower prices now.)
Senator Panfilo M. Lacson, in a privilege speech Monday, agreed that Pangilinan’s resolution that led to the Committee of the Whole hearings helped expose the seeming overprice of Sinovac.
Pangilinan said decisions on the choice of vaccines should be made on the basis of science.
He pointed out that efficacy and safety should be the priority, highlighting the significance of relying on medical experts.