MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte will not apologize for accusing the European Union of holding up supplies of COVID-19 vaccines to other countries, which the regional bloc denied, Malacañang said on Thursday.

Duterte on Monday said big powers like the EU not only buy up doses in bulk but have also threatened to restrict exports of COVID-19 vaccines, particularly AstraZeneca. In response, the EU said its export controls on the vaccines would not hamper Philippine access.

• EU: Philippines exempted from vaccine export ban

Asked whether the President would apologize or retract his accusation, his spokesman Harry Roque said, "Wala po."

(None.)

"Kinakailangan naman talaga ng paglilinaw kasi lumalabas na nagkakaroon ng vaccine nationalism at iyon po iyong issue na inilabas ng ating Presidente," he told reporters in an online briefing.

(A clarification is really needed because it appears that vaccine nationalism is emerging and that is the issue that our President brought up.)

The Palace "appreciates" the clarification, he said.

"Pero kung hindi po nagsalita ang Presidente, hindi sila magbibigay ng linaw na ganyan," Roque added.

(But if the President did not speak out, they will not issue that clarification.)

The Philippines has more than 530,000 confirmed coronavirus cases - among the highest in Asia.

It has lagged regional peers in securing vaccines, with which Manila hopes this year to inoculate 70 million people, or two-thirds of the population.

Duterte said the issue was getting the supplies as big powers like the EU not only buy up doses in bulk but have threatened to restrict exports of COVID-19 vaccines, particularly AstraZeneca.

“AstraZeneca was held hostage by the European Union,” Duterte said.

The British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca said last week it would fall short of delivering promised vaccines to the EU, triggering a furious response from the bloc.

- With a report from Reuters

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