Senate seeks further hearings on vaccines

‘Too many inconsistencies’

- CECILLE SUERTE FELIPE

Citing inconsistencies in the information provided by officials during the two-day hearing on the government’s vaccination program, Sen. Panfilo Lacson yesterday said senators may manifest an intention to hold another hearing on the issue when session resumes tomorrow.

In an interview over dwIZ, Lacson noted too many loose ends in the answers of the team of vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. regarding vaccine acquisition.

“We will scrutinize the transcript (of the hearings); what they did not answer, what they avoided answering – and if we still have a question. We can manifest on the floor to extend another hearing because even if we adjourned, if the majority and minority senators agree that the information was not enough, we can call for another hearing,” Lacson said in Filipino.

“The first question is why is it no longer a government-to-government agreement and why is the government talking to Helen Yang,” said Lacson, as he recalled Galvez’s response to the question of Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon that they are now dealing with Sinovac president Helen Yang, who is based in Hong Kong.

“He clearly replied to Sen. Drilon – Helen Yang who is based in HK. There are too many inconsistencies,” he said.

Lacson said even Health Secretary Francisco Duque III admitted to senators that they were dealing with Yang.

“Sec. Duque was also asked, ‘who are you talking to?’ He named Helen Yang. Why are they talking to the president of Sinovac, what happened? Why is it government-to-private now?”