This was after President Rodrigo Duterte claimed that the EU has been holding up AstraZeneca vaccines by imposing export restrictions on various countries.
In a statement, the EU assured that Philippines is not among the countries with exportation restrictions. It also vowed to keep its promise of delivering COVID-19 vaccines to low and middle-income countries.
“The authorization mechanism for exports of COVID-19 vaccines include a wide range of exemptions from prior authorization, to ensure the EU continues to fully honor its commitments to deliver the vaccine to our direct neighborhood and to 92 low and middle-income countries, including the Philippines, covered by the COVAX facility,” the EU said in a statement.
During his public address on Monday (February 1), Duterte said it is easy for the EU to restrict COVID-19 vaccines by imposing new measures, making it difficult for countries like the Philippines to get vaccines.
“Iyong AstraZeneca, hinostage ng European Union, (AstraZeneca was held hostage by the European Union),” he said.
“We are not really as powerful as the EU, wala tayong connection, wala tayong pera (we don’t have connections, we don’t have money)," Duterte added.
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