Duterte: Paying for China-Russia COVID-19 vaccines

President Rodrigo Duterte has changed his stance on free COVID-19 vaccines from China and Russia, stating that the country will pay for them through installments or credit lines.

Duterte expressed gratitude towards Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping but emphasized the need to negotiate discounts due to financial constraints.

The Philippines plans to participate in phase 3 trials of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine in October, with Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III previously allocating up to P20 billion for vaccine procurement.