Did Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque just take a swipe at the COVAX facility, which has given the Philippines over 16 million coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine doses for free?
Speaking at the "Resbakuna" event at SM City Clark in Pampanga, Roque brought up anew his platform on equal access to COVID-19 vaccines when he went to New York in the United States (US) last month as a nominee to the International Law Commission (ILC).
"Tayo lang po ang tumakbo sa plataporma na kinakailangan pumasok ang mga bansa sa daigdig, lahat ng bansa sa daigdig, sa isang tratado na kumikilala sa isang legal na obligasyon na ang lahat ng mga bansa magkaroon ng equal access sa mga bakuna pag meron tayong mga pandemiya (We’re the only one that ran on a platform that every country in the world should enter a treaty that recognizes a legal obligation to ensure all nations would have equal access to vaccines whenever there's a pandemic)," he said.
Roque then compared his pitch to that of the COVAX facility, a World Health Organization (WHO)-led initiative that seeks equal distribution of life-saving COVID-19 jabs through donations. That's when his remarks became a bit thorny.
"Ang pagkakaiba ng ating sinusulong, ang COVAX voluntary, feel-good ng mga mayayamang bansa dahil mino-monopolize nila ang suplay ng vaccine (The difference between my pitch and COVAX is, the latter is voluntary, a feel-good move on the part of rich nations because they monopolize the vaccines)," he said.
"Dahil nga kinakailangang i-address ang guilty conscience, 'Mamigay tayo ng konti sa mga mahihirap na bansa' (Because they need to address guilty conscience, 'Let's give a few to poor countries')," Roque further said.
The Palace official says this isn't the solution to the pandemic.
"Sinasabi ng WHO na (WHO is saying that) no one is safe untill all of us is safe. Kinakailangan po kilalanin ng lahat ng mga bansa ang obligasyon na para matapos ang mga pandemiya, hindi lang po ang COVID-19, kinakailangan lahat magkaroon ng bakuna dahil ito ang solusyon sa pandemiya (All the counties must recognize the obligation that, for the pandemic to end and not just COVID-19, everybody must have access to vaccines because this is the solution to the pandemic)," he said.
The Philippines has received over 71 million anti-COVID jabs. Of this number, some 46 million doses were purchased by government, 16 million were donated by COVAX, five million were purchased by the local government units, and 3.6 million doses were donated by other countries.
The country began its mass inoculation program against COVID-19 on March 1, 2021.