Pompeo offers best try on vaccine deal – The Manila Times manilatimes.net - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from manilatimes.net Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Published December 19, 2020, 4:59 PM
Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., chief implementer of the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19, refuted Saturday speculations that some officials may be looking for kickbacks from the national government’s deals with various companies to secure a COVID-19 vaccine.
Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr., chief implementer of the National Task Force (NTF) on COVID-19 (NTF AGAINST COVID-19 / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Sen. Francis Pangilinan has raised suspicion that the alleged botched deal between the government and United States vaccine maker Pfizer may be an issue of “kickvak.”
“Hindi po puwede magkaroon ng ‘kickvac’ dahil ang pondong gagamitin ay galing sa Asian Development Bank (ADB) at World Bank (WB), wala po sa Cabinet members at wala po sa government officials except sa Secretary of Finance (Carlos Dominguez III),” Galvez, who is also the designated vaccine czar, said in a “Laging Handa” press briefing.
Department of Justice (DoJ) (MANILA BULLETIN)
Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento revealed this Saturday after the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) filed the sixth batch of complaints before the DoJ last Nov. 25 on behalf of the families of the vaccinees.
“Next year na. Ninety-eight counts kasi ‘yan (The preliminary investigation will be done next year. There are 98 complaints),” Malcontento said.
Malcontento said he has yet to assign a prosecutor who will conduct the preliminary investigation of the complaints to determine if there is probable cause to file charges in court.
He said the DoJ National Prosecution Service (NPS) is currently sorting out the complaints.
Probe of Dengvaxia raps set | Tempo – The Nation s Fastest Growing Newspaper tempo.com.ph - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from tempo.com.ph Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 18) Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Friday dismissed allegations he caused the delay in the vaccine deal with US drugmaker Pfizer, adding the papers that took him 17 days to sign does not specifically assure 10 million doses for the Philippines by January.
He belied the specifications for supply and shipment mentioned by Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., who brokered the deal with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Philippine Ambassador to the US Babe Romualdez. Locsin said the 10 million doses of Pfizer s COVID-19 vaccine were supposed to arrive in Clark, Pampanga in January 2021, but someone bungled the deal. Senator Panfilo Lacson identified Duque as the suspect.