Pompeo to help get back ‘fraction’ of 10M vaccine doses for PH

FILE: State Secretary Michael Pompeo (File Photo: @SecPompeo/Twitter)

MANILA – State Secretary Michael Pompeo will help Manila get back a “fraction” of the 10 million doses of Pfizer vaccine, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said Saturday.

“Lotsa laughs at others. But on the most serious note, I asked him (Pompeo) to help Babe (Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez) and I get back even a fraction of the 10 million doses of Pfizer after someone dropped the ball. He’ll give it his best try,” he said following a phone conversation with the American top diplomat on Friday night.

Aside from Pfizer, Locsin said Romualdez is also working to secure vaccines from American biotechnology firm Moderna.

Locsin previously disclosed that the Philippines was supposed to secure some 10 million doses of Pfizer’s vaccine as early as January 2021. The deal, however, did not push through after a certain someone “dropped the ball”.

Senator Panfilo Lacson later said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III failed to act quickly on the confidentiality disclosure agreement (CDA) with Pfizer, missing the opportunity to get an early delivery date for Manila.

Vaccine Czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., meanwhile, said “no bus was missed” and that “no ball was dropped” because the government is focused on its main goal to conclude the negotiation.