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By Enrico Dela Cruz
MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte praised Russia’s efforts to expand a coronavirus vaccine and is able to participate in the trials, as he welcomed a Source from Moscow who said it would be free.
Russia is awaiting regulatory approval this month for a possible COVID-19 vaccine and is in a position to supply it to the Philippines or the spouse of a local company for mass production.
The Philippines is among the highest numbers of coronavirus infections in Asia, which increased to 136,638 on Monday after a record 6958 case increase.
“I will tell President (Vladimir) Putin that I have great confidence in his studies on the opposite fight against COVID and I think the vaccine he has produced is intelligent for humanity,” Duterte said Monday night on television.
The frantic global race to expand a COVID-19 vaccine has raised fears that speed and national prestige could jeopardize safety.
To allay public fears, Duterte proposed to be a guinea pig when the vaccine arrives and said, “I can be the first in which they can experiment.”
His workplace said Tuesday that the Philippines is able to work with Russia on testing, source and vaccine production.
In July, Duterte asked his Chinese counterpart to make the Philippines a precedent if he develops a vaccine, amid considerations among the next countries on availability.
This month he re-established a strict blockade in and around the capital Manila during the first two weeks, listening to the request of medical leaders for a “time-out” amid an outbreak of infections in an era in which restrictions eased.
If it becomes an “astonishing contagion,” Duterte promised Monday to mobilize the army to impose the blockade.
The lockdown is among the toughest in the world, and the opposition and Duterte defense teams have expressed fears about their technique for police protection and conduct.
(Edited through Martin Petty)