Duterte thanks Biden for not forgetting PH in COVID-19 vaccine donation

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte thanked US President Joe Biden on Monday for not forgetting the Philippines in its donation of COVID-19 vaccines to other countries.

“We have a supply coming, I think, a few days from now,” Duterte said. “I’m going to go to the airport because the United States donated three million — the Moderna. So it’s a give-and-take between us. Let’s thank them. And I also gave a concession. I conceded the continuance of the Visiting Forces Agreement,” Duterte said in his taped speech.

“In gratitude, I said, we are thanking them.  I’d like to thank the president of the United States, Biden, the government and people of America for not forgetting us. Do not forget us because we share the same outlook in geopolitics here, especially in Southeast Asia,” he added.

The US donation of three million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine will arrive in the Philippines on Tuesday.

The Philippines also recently received 3.2 million doses of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine from the US.

Meanwhile, Duterte recalled the abrogation of the VFA last week after meeting with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

READ: Lorenzana: ‘VFA in full force again’

It was in February 2020 when Duterte threatened the agreement’s abrogation should the US fail to “correct” the cancellation of the visa of his ally, Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.

READ: No Bato visa, no VFA–Duterte

The abrogation of the VFA had been suspended three times since then.

/ATM