President Rodrigo Roa Duterte discusses matters with Presidential Spokesperson Atty. Harry Roque on the sidelines of the 22nd Cabinet Meeting at the Malacañan Palace on February 5, 2018. ACE MORANDANTE/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
Malacañang on Thursday maintained that the country had no plans to cut ties with the European Union after President Rodrigo Duterte alleged that it was holding AstraZeneca vaccines “hostage.”
“Nakita po ng presidente na mayroon pong benepisyo sa sambayanang Filipino ang patuloy na pakikipagkaibigan sa EU,” Palace spokesman Harry Roque said in a virtual presser.
“At wala naman po talagang dahilan para maputol itong mabuting relasyon na ito.”
Earlier this month, Duterte lamented how Covid-19 vaccines were going to the rich countries, leaving poor countries like the Philippines behind in the worldwide vaccination race.
He also claimed that AstraZeneca vaccines were being “held hostage” by the European Union.
“Huwag naman masyado ninyong idiin ‘yang bayan ninyo na talagang pobre na ganoon kung ganoon. Nabubuhay pa naman tayo. Let us just hope for the best. The problem is ‘yung bakuna. For all of the brouhaha, ‘O mayroon kami dito nakita, mayroon kami…’ Saan? Eh ‘yung AstraZeneca hinostage ng European Union,” he said.
The country has P73.2 billion allocated for Covid-19 vaccines. John Ezekiel J. Hirro