DUTERTE: I HAVE RUN OUT OF TEARS
Philippine president says government faces difficulty in acquiring vaccines
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte warns of “bleak months” ahead and that he is having a hard time addressing the Covid-19 pandemic, especially with the spike in infections and limited supply of vaccines.
He said this in a prerecorded public address, revealing the crisis is taking up most of his time, according to the Philstar. com portal.
“I’m having a hard time. I’m grappling with the issue of Covid19. It takes most of my time actually. More than any other papers, it’s the Covid-19 that is taking my time or most of my time — looking for ways, checking what is happening outside,” Duterte said.
The speech follows the decision to impose a lockdown on Metro Manila and the nearby provinces of Laguna, Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan.
Among problems the government has to deal with is the difficulty in accessing vaccines, something that Duterte said made him want to cry.
To make it worse, the Philippines is not a vaccine-producing country.
“That is how hard it is for us to get vaccines. I want to cry in front of you but I have run out of tears,” he said.
The Philippines received one million doses of vaccine from Chinese firm Sinovac on Monday but the shots are for medical frontliners.
The country expects to receive 1.2 million vaccine doses, scheduled to arrive this month, but there is no guarantee it would be delivered on time.
“That’s how difficult the situation in the world is. We want to buy, we have money, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank said: ‘OK, we will lend you.’ The money is made available to us. I suppose that is what the bank has told our people. The problem is it’s not enough,” Duterte said.
“So we expect a very, not really a dark future, but we expect bleak months... baka mahawa ka nga eh. Ang problema mahawa ka (You might get infected. The problem is if you get infected),” he added.
Duterte appealed for patience and understanding from the public, saying the government is working to secure more vaccines despite the tight global supply.
“We have to understand the government. Stretch your patience and be understanding a bit. We are doing our best. We are not a vaccine-producing country. We do not have the expertise, we do not have the knowledge, medical-scientific knowledge. So we are waiting,” he added.
Duterte gave an assurance that the week-long lockdown in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, known as the National Capital Region-Plus bubble, was not intended to cause suffering.