Lawmakers seek P15.5B for COVID-19 vaccines in 2021 budget

Lawmakers are pushing for an allocation of P15.5 billion for COVID-19 vaccines in the 2021 budget.

Senator Panfilo Lacson supports the House of Representatives' move to introduce P5.5 billion in institutional amendments for vaccine purchases, despite noting potential constitutional issues.

Lacson stated that the current P2.5 billion allocated for vaccines is insufficient to cover the targeted 3.9 million Filipinos.

He proposed augmenting the budget by approximately P10 billion to cover a larger portion of the country's population.

Lacson indicated that any constitutional infirmities in the House's amendments could be rectified during the bicameral conference committee deliberations.

The National Disaster Risk Management Fund may also be tapped for vaccine purchases, as a pandemic is classified as a disaster.