Lacson wants to add P10B to COVID-19 vaccine budget

Senator Panfilo Lacson said Tuesday he wants to add P10 billion more to the P2.5 billion budget allocation for the COVID-19 vaccines under the proposed 2021 national budget to ensure more Filipinos would be protected.

Lacson said P2.5 billion is not enough to cover for the vaccination of Filipinos.

“There’s only P2.5 billion for vaccines to cover 3.9 million Filipinos. Now assuming there’s already a vaccine available sa April next year, kulang na kulang ang P2.5 billion,” he said in an interview with CNN Philippines.

“So I’m thinking of augmenting another P10 billion or at least ma-approximate ‘yung P10 billion to cover more Filipinos. Kasi 3.9 million of 100 million Filipinos masyadong maliit ‘yung mako-cover,” he added.

Yesterday, the House of Representatives’ “small committee” introduced P20 billion worth of “institutional amendments” to the P4.5-trillion General Appropriations Bill.

The amendments included an additional P5.5 billion budget for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines.

“That’s good because we’ll just formalize it. I am not saying we are accepting the amendments introduced by the HOR,” Lacson said.

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Lacson wants to add P10B to COVID-19 vaccine budget

The senator said the institutional amendments are unconstitutional. Citing Section 26 of the Constitution, Lacson said changes initiated by concerned agencies after the final reading of any bill are not allowed.

“Pero we’ll formalize it in the Senate, and probably in the bicam, we can finalize it,” he said.

“Kasi kung 3.9 million Filipinos, how about the 96 million Filipinos? Maghahawa-hawa rin yan,” he added.

Last week, President Rodrigo Duterte said that he already had money to buy COVID-19 vaccines but vowed to get more funds to immunize all Filipinos.