Go lauds indemnification fund passage
Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go lauded the move of President Rodrigo Duterte in certifying as urgent a measure which seeks to ensure availability of funds to compensate Filipinos who will experience adverse effects during Covid-19 vaccination.
In a video message, Go said Senate Bill (SB) 2057 or “An Act Expediting the Procurement and Administration of Vaccines for the Protection against Covid-19 Providing Funds thereof and for Other Purposes’” will ensure the procurement of safe and effective jabs through its provision establishing a vaccine indemnification fund. Through the said clause, the senator said vaccine manufacturers will be assured it will not be held liable in case recipients experience serious side effects. Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier revealed that vaccine firms have fears of supplying Covid-19 vaccines to the Philippines after learning that French drugmaker Sanofi Pasteur and several health officials faced charges for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide over deaths allegedly linked to Dengvaxia, the dengue vaccine supplied by the said company.
‘I laud President Duterte’s immediate action in certifying as an urgent measure SB 2057 under Committee Report 185, entitled ‘An Act Expediting the Procurement and Administration of Vaccines for the Protection against Covid-19 Providing Fund thereof and for Other Purpose,” he said.
“The measure includes a provision creating a vaccine indemnification fund which will prompt the fast procurement of sufficient, safe and effective vaccines for Filipinos. It is important for this bill to be passed urgently because this accounts to a huge part of the country’s Covid-19 vaccine roadmap,” he added.
Go also commended the issuance of a memorandum order which allows the national task force against Covid-19, the Department of Health, local government units (LGU) as well as private sectors to make advance payments exceeding 15 percent of the total amount of the contract to procure the vaccines.
“Indeed LGU are capacitated under this memorandum order to procure vaccines to supplement the national government’s Covid vaccination program,” Go said.
He also reiterated President Rodrigo Duterte’s call for the local officials to practice transparency and ensure that the funds are being used diligently.
“The President has always emphasized that we are expediting the rollout of vaccines. We must always exercise due diligence and consider the best interest of the people specifically in time of crisis. Every peso counts,” he added.