The government allocated P2.5 billion for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccine in the proposed 2021 national spending plan, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado said Tuesday.
“We have included P2.5 billion for one million vaccines in the proposed 2021 national budget, but the DOF (Department of Finance) has another source to buy the vaccines good for 20 million,” Avisado said in a text message when asked where the government would get funds to purchase vaccines.
Avisado made the statement after President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday that COVID-19 vaccines from Russia and China would not be free.
“I cannot overemphasize my depth of gratitude (to Putin and Xi Jingping), but remember this is not for free,” Duterte said. “For, after all, they did not develop the vaccine without great expense and also the human effort involved.”
Duterte also said he would ask the Russian and Chinese governments for loans for the COVID-19 vaccines due to the “economic hemorrhage” the country is facing.
“Bibilhin natin ‘yan kaya lang kung mahal, if it is quite expensive, then I will ask my friends President Putin and Xi to give us a credit, parang utang, credit line,” he said.
“But we will pay, not in one payment, but by installment. Basta ang sinasabi ko magbayad tayo. Hindi ito libre,” he added.
Also read: Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine not automatically approved in PH – FDA exec
Proposed 2021 nat’ l budget allocates P2.5B for COVID-19 vaccine
Last month, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said at least 20 million Filipinos would get a free COVID-19 vaccine once it is developed.
He added the government would pay for the P20 billion worth of COVID-19 vaccines, which are expected to be available by December 2020.
Duterte, however, said he would not give vaccines to drug pushers.
“Drug pusher, wala kayo [you don’t have vaccine],” Duterte said in a public address.
Duterte said he would instead give the vaccine to poor communities than to drug pushers and drug lords who he called “dogs.”
“‘Yun ang utos ko. ‘Yan ang gusto ko. Hindi maganda? Hindi talaga maganda. Mga tao, hindi pala tao sila, tingin ko [sa] mga drug pusher, drug lord, aso. Tingin ko sa kanila… hindi ako magtulong sa inyo, sinisira niyo ang Pilipinas, pinapatay niyo ang tao,” he said.
(That’s what I want. It’s not really good. They are not humans. I see them as dogs. I will not help you. You are destroying the Philippines. You are killing people.)