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'Unbelievable', says Drilon on Duterte's refusal to assume responsibility on unwanted vaccine effects
'Unbelievable', says Drilon on Duterte's refusal to assume responsibility on unwanted vaccine effects
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon was perplexed that President Duterte refused to assume full responsibility for the adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccines even as he signed the law providing it.
Drilon pointed out on Tuesday, March 23, that no less than Duterte's Cabinet members, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, pushed lawmakers to come up with an indemnity clause in the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act (Republic Act No. 11525), as supposedly demanded by vaccine manufacturers before giving the Philippines supplies of their products.
The law allocates a fund of P500 million to augment the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation's (PhilHealth) budget for compensating those who will suffer from the possible side effects of the coronavirus vaccines.
"Unbelievable," Drilon said in a text message sent to reporters.
" certified the law as urgent. We passed it. He signed it. There is a law," he added, sighing in disbelief.
In his televised address on Monday, Duterte questioned the legality of the indemnity clause in the RA 11525, which he signed last month, saying the government cannot assume full responsibility for "something which is beyond our control in the first place."
“The government cannot guarantee much less give you an immune status na you are freed of any and all liability. Masyadong mataas (It’s too much)…I think we cannot even do that even if we wanted to, ‘yong assumption ng liability for the stocks that are bought from the private sector,” the President said.
"Sabihin mo sa kanila hindi puwede (Tell them that it’s not possible). Because in the first place, hindi atin ‘yan (that's not ours). Ngayon, kung nagka-leche-leche ‘yan (Now, if there are problems like) mishandling, or for whatever reason, it is not effective as advertised, then they will go after against whom?” he added.
Drilon stressed that before the its passage in the Senate, he pushed to amend the indemnity clause to make vaccine manufacturers responsible for "damages arising from gross negligence and willful misconduct".
Senate President Pro Tempore Recto, meanwhile, said the country should just concentrate on the achieving herd immunity against the COVID-19 "at the soonest".
"To achieve that this year, we need to to jab 4 /week for nine months to reach 72 Filipinos with two jabs each," he said, referrring to the government's target population of 70 million.
"All other issues, like indemnification should be looked upon within this context. That should be the goal," he said.
With this, he reiterated his appeal to "allow both private and local to assist national govt to attain this goal."