PH envoy says no China conditions for access to COVID-19 vaccine

Did China set conditions for sharing its coronavirus vaccine candidate to the Philippines while the 2 countries are locked in a maritime dispute? 

"Not at all," Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Santiago Sta. Romana told reporters. "Actually, we’re the ones, our condition is that it should pass our local requirements." 

China's Sinovac firm has passed a preliminary review by local experts and filed earlier Thursday its application to hold clinical trials in the Philippines, the Food and Drug Administration said. 

Beijing is urging the Philippines to prepare cold storage facilities for the vaccine, said Sta. Romana. 

"These vaccines have to be stored in the conditions na freezing conditions. Otherwise if exposed to tropical weather or to normal weather conditions, the vaccine could lose its effectiveness," he said.