It’s actually the Opposition incessant criticizing leading to things being debated to death and not, as Inquirer columnist and former Communications Undersecretary Manolo Quezon III (MLQ3) claims in his piece “Debating things to death” that “those who try to solve problems in the Philippines get crucified for it.” Quezon then goes on to write…
…at long last, the country is escaping, somewhat, the Sinovac straightjacket. A situation we were forced into by the government, which didn’t follow through in obtaining Pfizer’s vaccine early enough, which only got a trickle of AstraZeneca only to stop its distribution over apprehensions over side effects, and which called on the private sector to help with vaccine procurement—but only after imposing all sorts of conditions and restrictions, when the private sector was frankly desperate to get its managers and workers, and their families, vaccinated as soon as possible.
MLQ3 is a liar. Why? He doesn’t mention the indemnification clause which pharmaceutical companies insist on because the vaccines didn’t undergo rigorous clinical trials. The companies wouldn’t accept a guarantee by executive fiat. It had to be legislated.
On the issue of vaccine hesitancy, it was the Opposition which planted the doubt in the minds is the public with Sinovac. They didn’t bother to mention that Western countries hoarded vaccine supplies by buying more than the number of doses they needed for their entire populations. Recall how the administration of former President Noynoy Aquino moved heaven and earth for dengue vaccine Dengvaxia even if the same wasn’t approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) and hadn’t undergone phase 3 and 4 clinical trials. It was granted an outright approval instead of an Emergency Use Authorization. Why? It wasn’t about concern for the public but more of a fundraising effort for the 2016 election.
Next, there is the issue of logistics. Pfizer vaccines requires cold stores with a temperature of -70 degrees celsius. How many do we have of that in the country? That temperature is colder than the Antarctic winter. If there’s only a few available in the National Capital Region (NCR), do you think that it would be in the regions?
How can MLQ3 then claim that it is the government that wants to debate any issue to death? The problem with the Opposition is they light a fire. When their fingers get burned, they turn tail and run for cover. It is laughable at how many of them who discredited Sinovac ended up being vaccinated with it because of their fear of death. As of today, Sinovac has been earning praise for its efficacy and as Anthony Fauci put it, the best vaccine is what you have in your arm.
Now MLQ3 is insinuating that the construction of the MegaVax facility is politically-motivated and that the oligarchs run political parties like they were corporate subsidiaries? Isn’t this true with the Liberal Party and the Lopez Group? Why did the Yellows and Reds protest vehemently the denial of ABS-CBN’s franchise application at the beginning of the pandemic? That wasn’t for freedom of speech by any measure.
Finally recall how Noynoy, testifying at the Senate, committed perjury by claiming Dengvaxia was USFDA approved. He should’ve been charged with perjury. But this, ladies and gentlemen, is how Yellowidiots operate. They lie through the skin of their teeth. And you still want them back in power?
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