Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo on Saturday told critics to stop yakking and instead trust the government in the procurement of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines.

“Kayong mga kritiko, pwede ba, relax lang kayo. Gamitin ninyo ‘yung mga sentido kumon niyo. Trust your officials. Huwag nang kung anu-anong pagdududa ang ginagawa ninyo (To critics, just relax. Use your common sense. Trust your officials. Do not raise doubts [about the purchase of Covid-19 vaccines]),” Panelo said during his commentary show “Counterpoint.”

Several questions have been raised about the supposed preference of the government to purchase Covid-19 vaccines from Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech despite having high prices and allegedly low efficacy rates.

Malacañang, vaccine czar and National Policy Against Covid-19 chief implementer, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., and other government officials have repeatedly ensured that there will be no irregularities in the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines.

Panelo said the government would never put the Filipinos’ lives at risk.

He guaranteed that the vaccines that would be purchased from seven pharmaceutical firms are safe and effective.

“Tayo hong mga Pilipino, gamitin din natin ‘yung bukas na kaisipan natin na ang pamahalaan natin, na ang tungkulin ay pangalagaan tayong lahat at pagsilbihan, eh hindi to kukuha ng bakuna na ikasisira natin (To Filipinos, be open-minded. The government, whose job is to serve and protect all of us, will never buy a vaccine that would put our lives at stake),” Panelo said.

He also stressed that the current administration is “different” from the past governments as it would not allow anomalies in vaccine procurement.

“‘Yung mga kumikwestiyon diyan, huwag kayong padalus-dalos sa paghuhusga na baka merong tinatago, na baka merong katiwalian. Wala po iyan (To those who are questioning the government, do not judge us and make a claim that we are hiding something or that there is irregularity. There is none),” he said.

Senator Francis Pangilinan earlier raised the possibility of corruption in the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines after the government failed to secure the delivery of around 10 million doses of vaccine from Washington-based drug maker Pfizer as early as January.

In a public address delivered on Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte slammed the opposition for “muddling” in the government’s vaccine procurement process.

Duterte also reiterated that vaccine supply deals would only be finalized once approved by him and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III.

The Philippines intends to secure 148 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine from seven pharmaceutical companies to inoculate an initial 50 to 70 million Filipinos this year.

The government is expected to start its mass vaccination drive in February. (PNA)