Duterte to Galvez: Attend Senate probe but leave if verbally abused

By Prince Golez

President Rodrigo Duterte has instructed vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. to continue to attend Senate hearings on the government’s coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccination program, Malacañang said Wednesday.

In an interview with CNN Philippines’ The Source, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Galvez was told by Duterte to “continue answering questions” regarding the distribution and purchase of Covid-19 vaccines.

The Senate Committee on the Whole is scheduled to resume its hearing into the government’s Covid-19 vaccine plans on January 22.

“To be transparent, the issue was Secretary Galvez was saying, because of the Senate hearings, he has lost about two weeks’ worth of negotiations with drug suppliers. So, Secretary Galvez, in fact, was saying, could I skip the hearing because it’s very important that I resume my negotiations with the vaccine developers because otherwise we might run out of supplies,” said Roque.

“But, in fairness to the President, his answer was ‘No. Go to the Senate, continue answering questions, continue the way, in the manner you have been answering, and if they become abusive to you verbally, just stand up and leave, and if they cite you in contempt, I will come and fetch you’,” he added,

In a video message yesterday, Senator Christopher Go said Duterte asked Galvez, also the chief implementer of the government’s action plan on the pandemic, to tell Sotto details of the vaccine procurement deals for transparency.

The secretary earlier refused to reveal the prices of vaccines, citing a confidentiality agreement.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)