Two Cabinet members previously fought over a botched vaccine offer, and now are at it again.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Locsin Jr. and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III have engaged in a verbal war over the missed chance to secure 50 million syringes for COVID-19 jabs from the United States.
Locsin, in his latest tweet, told Duque not to question his motives when he revealed that government agencies dropped the ball on the proposed procurement of 50 million syringes. The former Makati lawmaker said when the US offer was made, the concerned agency should have responded to the matter “professionally,” and not passed the buck to the “junior staff.”
Duque earlier slammed Locsin for his baseless tweets, insisting that no ball was dropped about the procurement of syringes. He claimed that Locsin wanted the Department of Health to follow the price set by the syringe manufacturers, which he insisted is not possible under the country’s laws. “Hindi naman kami gago para gawin ‘yun. Meron tayong batas diyan,” he said in a radio interview on Monday.
Locsin however dismissed Duque’s comment.
“Hindi, just respond to the offer professionally on the right not junior level; say no and explain why. The offeror answered back devastatingly. Don’t ever, Duque, ever, question my motives,” he tweeted.
Locsin further explained that he did not want the government’s reputation to be tainted by mishandling the syringe offer.
“I was assured it was being handled professionally and would be disposed of on a factual basis and not by pakiusap or tago-ng-tago. It was given to junior staff. Kasi tayo ay sa parehong administrasyon, ayaw ko mababuy ang reputation ng PRRD admin. Walang kasamahan sa kababuyan,” he said.
Si Duque na naman ba? Locsin fumes as PH ‘dropped the ball again’ for US offer of 50M syringes (politics.com.ph)
