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Duque on COVID-19 vaccine purchase: 'Trust our officials'

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/life/01/01/20201203-covid-quarantine-divisoria-inspection-gc-6513.jpg"/><figcaption>Health Secretary Francisco Duque speaks to a crowd during a visit at Divisoria, Manila on Dec. 3, 2020. <em>George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA - Health Sec. Francisco Duque III on Monday called on the public to trust government officials, amid controversies surrounding the Duterte administration&#x27;s purchase of vaccines against COVID-19.</p><p>Duque, in a public briefing, defended the non-disclosure agreement that the Philippine government has with China&#x27;s Sinovac Biotech for the procurement of its COVID-19 vaccine, despite public clamor for transparency.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/18/21/duterte-says-ph-govt-cannot-divulge-contract-price-of-sinovacs-covid-19-vaccine">Duterte says PH gov&#x27;t cannot divulge contract price of Sinovac&#x27;s COVID-19 vaccine</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Hindi po talaga kami pwede magsalita kung magkano &#x27;yung mga figures o &#x27;yung halaga, &#x27;yung mga data, &#x27;yung volume. &#x27;Yun lang po masasabi ko,&quot; he said.</p><p>(We can&#x27;t really disclose the vaccines&#x27; price, figures, date or volume. That&#x27;s all I can say.)</p><p>He said government officials involved in the country&#x27;s procurement of COVID-19 vaccines are &quot;doing their best&quot;.</p><p>&quot;Sa akin lang po, pagkatiwalaan naman po natin ang mga opisyal ng ating gobyerno dahil talaga naman pong ipinaglalaban ang interes ng mamamayan at interes po ng gobyerno,&quot; he said.</p><p>(For me, let&#x27;s trust our government officials who are really fighting for the interest of the public and the government.)</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S1ch33ufynM?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>The Philippines has secured at least 25 million doses of the Chinese vaccine.</p><p>The public and lawmakers have questioned the government&#x27;s preference for Sinovac&#x27;s vaccine, CoronaVac, even as better-rated and less expensive vaccines are already available. </p><p>Malacañang claimed that China offered the Philippines the CoronaVac vaccine at &quot;best friend forever&quot; price, even though Senate finance committee chair Sen. Sonny Angara had said they cost around P3,600 per 2 jabs. </p><p>Data shows that the Sinovac vaccine is the second most expensive, after US-based Moderna&#x27;s product, which is estimated to cost between P3,904.00 to P4,504.00.</p><p>Pfizer&#x27;s ranks third, at P2,379.00, followed by Gamaleya&#x27;s P1,220.00, COVAX facility&#x27;s P854.00, Astrazeneca&#x27;s P610.00, and Novavax&#x27; P366.00.</p><p>Researchers said CoronaVac only showed 50.4 percent efficacy in a late-stage trial in Brazil.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/01/13/21/brazil-researchers-report-more-modest-504-efficacy-for-chinas-coronavac">Brazil researchers report more modest 50.4% efficacy for China&#x27;s CoronaVac</a></li></ul><p>Duque, who has been embroiled in <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/27/20/house-oks-committee-report-holding-duque-philhealth-officials-liable-for-corruption" target="_blank">multiple corruption scandals</a>, was accused earlier of &quot;<a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/16/20/lacson-says-cabinet-member-dropped-the-ball-in-vaccine-deal-with-pfizer" target="_blank">dropping the ball</a>&quot; after the Philippines failed to secure Pfizer&#x27;s vaccines, which have showed at least 94 percent efficacy.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g4tzxZlDEOQ?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>Health Sec. Francisco Duque III on Monday called on the public to trust government officials, amid controversies surrounding the Duterte administration's purchase of vaccines against COVID-19.<br /> </p>

Health Sec. Francisco Duque III on Monday called on the public to trust government officials, amid controversies surrounding the Duterte administration's purchase of vaccines against COVID-19.