MANILA – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte accused the European Union (EU) of holding up supplies of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines to other countries.
“Eh ‘yung AstraZeneca, hinostage ng European Union. Sa Europe kasi, parang iisa na lang sila,” Duterte said on Monday. “Here we have the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), but we are not really as powerful as the EU. We don’t have connections.”
According to him, big powers like EU does not only buy doses in bulk but threatened to restrict exports of COVID-19 vaccines, particularly AstraZeneca.
AstraZeneca announced last week it would fall short of delivering promised vaccines to EU, triggering a furious reaction from the bloc.
For the president, this is the reason why less wealthy countries, including the Philippines, were having a hard time securing COVID-19 vaccine supplies.
“Alam niyo ho itong problema talaga ng COVID, hindi ganoon kadali. For one, the greatest disadvantage natin is hindi tayo mayaman at ito labanan ito ngayon sa highest bidder,” the president cited.
“Kung sino ‘yung makabayad ng una, magdeposito na, tapos lalo na kung ‘yung bansa na ‘yun ‘yung humihingi ng supply ng vaccine is the country where the factory is located, nauuna talaga sa kanila,” he added.
While waiting for the arrival of the vaccines, President Duterte has assured the public the government is doing its best to address the health crisis.
“We cannot do anything. We cannot call upon the heavens to fall on its knees, to demand and be ours what is not to be simply ours,” he said. “Just keep your faith in government.”
AstraZeneca is one of the seven vaccine manufacturers the government is in talks with for supply deals, which are on top of the millions of doses it expects to receive via the COVAX facility. /PN
