PRRD certifies indemnity bills as urgent, OKs LGU advance payment for vaccines

President Rodrigo Duterte has certified as urgent Senate Bill No. 2057 and House Bill No. 8648 concerning the indemnification fund for COVID-19 vaccines.

The chief executive also signed the memorandum allowing local government units to make advance payments for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines.

The said bills for the national vaccination program will provide additional funding for the government to provide assistance to vaccine beneficiaries who may suffer adverse effects.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque emphasized the necessity for no fault indemnification considering the status of vaccines that are currently granted emergency use approval.

“’No fault kasi sa ating batas bago ka makakuha ng danyos, kinakailangan mayroong fault o negligence… Pero hindi na kinakailangan pruwebahan ang kapabayaan or pagkakamali. Basta mayroon kang ipinakitang side effect, bayad kaagad (It is ‘no fault’ because negligence or fault is no longer needed to be proven. As long as there is a side effect, there will be payment),” Sec. Roque elucidated.

Despite the reported delay on the arrival of some vaccines, Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez Jr. assured that the vaccine rollout timeline is “on track” and the country is prepared to accept the doses. The “massive rollout” is set to begin during the third quarter.

“Sa ngayon, ang definite pa lang natin na mare-receive ay ang Sinovac kapag nagkaroon ng EUA. Iyong sa COVAX Facility, hanggang ngayon ay walang definite date. Pero well-prepared tayo (Currently, the only definite vaccine that we will receive is the Sinovac if granted EUA. As for the COVAX Facility, there is no definite date yet. But we are well-prepared),” Galvez explained.

The officials also clarified that the 600,000 doses of donated Sinovac vaccines initially set to be delivered to the Philippines by February 23 have yet to arrive pending the granting of emergency use authorization from Philippines.

Meanwhile, Malacaῆang welcomed the support of the Metro Manila Council (MMC) on the proposal of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to declare a nationwide Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) come March. This will be discussed anew in the next cabinet meeting. – Reports from Mela Lesmoras, PTV News Online