No compromise on WPS amid PH-China vaccine talks: Galvez

MANILA – Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., National Task Force Against Covid-19 Chief Implementer and vaccine czar, on Friday assured the country will not compromise its claim to the West Philippine Sea (WPS), while it exerts all efforts for the acquisition of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines with other countries, including China.

“In this pandemic, the global interest of the global commons is really to save humanity so all countries rallied to support each other. That’s the context we are looking at [your honors], that every country wanted to halt our global pandemic,” Galvez told senators during the resumption of the Senate hearing on the government’s Covid-19 vaccine acquisition program.

Galvez made these remarks after Senator Risa Hontiveros asked him for an assurance that the country’s national interest in the West Philippine Sea will not be compromised in exchange for acquiring vaccines from China.

“Ang nakikita po natin na ang problema natin ngayon (As we see our problem now) is a global menace which is in order to control and contain the pandemic. There are many biases, I’ve been also working with the diplomatic corps and asking for help because there are many countries that are buying more than six times or seven times of their populations, but there are these countries that don’t have even 10 percent of their own, but they are willing to help us,” Galvez told Hontiveros. “I would like to make clarifications, we will not compromise our stake.”

Galvez assured that the selection and procurement of the Covid-19 vaccines will be determined through a “science-based” and the recommendation of the vaccine expert panel (VEP) as well as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

He added that the government adheres with the concept of equitable access, the safety, and efficacy of the vaccine.

“And at the same time, we are looking at the global interest of really putting an end to this pandemic. This is a world menace, the differences that we have, maybe we have to set this aside so that we can rally, that’s my point, to rally behind saving humanity,” Galvez added.

Galvez earlier said the government will go through stringent regulatory procedures to ensure transparency and accountability in the selection, procurement, and administration of Covid-19 vaccines.