Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Sunday called on the government to provide for a full accounting of the P82.5-billion worth of coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine procurement budget before it asks for additional funds.

Drilon said it is necessary for the government to be more transparent about the pricing of the vaccines in order to strengthen public confidence in the country’s vaccination program which he said has been sluggish.

“The people should know how much was spent and where it was spent. There needs to be transparency in the procurement. This is the people’s money. And the funds were borrowed,” Drilon said in an interview on Radio DZBB.

“These are not small amounts. We need transparency in government spending. This is public money. Transparency is critical in the success of the vaccination program,” he stressed.

Under the 2021 General Appropriations Act, P72.5-billion were earmarked for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines. However, only P2.5-billion, out of the P7.5-billion is funded.

The remaining P70-billion is part of the unprogrammed funds, while another P10-billion is allocated under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2.

The government recently said it may need additional P25-billion this year to buy more vaccines and another P55-billion next year for “booster shots.”

“We need the crucial information on the procurement side: what we’re buying, what brand, from whom, at what price and quantity,” he pointed out.

“The lack of transparency also contributes to the problem of vaccine hesitancy,” he added.

As of May 31, 2021, 5,248,358 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have already been administered, of which, 4,003,776 people have received the first dose, while 1,244,582 have completed the required two doses.