Duterte Chief Counsel slams Sinovac critics

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Secretary Salvador Panelo on Monday criticized Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Francis Pangilinan for making negative remarks about the China-made CoronaVac vaccine.

He asked them: “Why can’t we just be thankful?’ Panelo in his daily online program “Counterpoint” said critics must be thankful as the 600,000 Sinovac doses were donated by China.

“We did not ask for it to China. It did it willingly,” he said. “Why do we always criticize?”

“These 600,000 vaccine doses donation will not affect our claims in the disputed water in the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea). The President said his foreign policy is independent,” he added.

The remarks came after Robredo and Pangilinan supported the call of a group of doctors from the Philippine General Hospital for a review of the CoronaVac.

“VP Leni, what are you? You said you’re not questioning the efficacy but you’re criticizing it.

You know VP Leni, (Sinovac) will not be given EUA (Emergency Use Authorization) if it was not studied,” he said.

“There are many people who have been using Sinovac. In Southeast Asia, even the Indonesian President Joko Widodo has been vaccinated by it,” he added.

Robredo in her radio program said Sinovac should follow the right process and must secure a positive recommendation from the Health Technology Assessment Council just like what other vaccine brands did.