Palace defends AFP personnel for getting Sinopharm vaccine

MANILA---After initially denying the statement of President Rodrigo Duterte that military personnel have been inoculated against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Monday, December 29, 2020, said members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) have been vaccinated.

AFP spokesperson Major General Edgard Arevalo, however, said he was not privy to how the vaccines administered to the PSG were obtained. As of Monday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not issued any Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the use of any Covid-19 vaccine in the Philippines.

“Per our inquiry, members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) were the first ones from the AFP who were vaccinated owing to the nature of their mission and function,” Arevalo said in a social media post Monday.

“As the unit primarily tasked to protect and secure the highest official of the land, the PSG will have to ensure that the President is safe from all threats— including Covid-19,” he added.

He issued this statement less than an hour after releasing a previous statement, saying he was “not aware of Covid-19 inoculation made to military personnel” and of any vaccination program sanctioned by the AFP leadership.

Arevalo was reacting to the President’s statement during a meeting with some Cabinet members and infectious disease specialists on Saturday, December 26, that some uniformed men have received the vaccine from Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm.

“I have to be frank and I have to tell the truth. I will not foist a lie. Marami nang nagpatusok and lahat. Up to now, wala akong narinig sa — for the select few — not all soldiers, not all soldiers, hindi pa kasi policy eh,” Duterte said.

“If it’s a policy now to have them injected with... Pero gusto ko mauna sila because I do not want a sickly Armed Forces and a sickly police.

The reason why is that they have to be in good health all the time because they are responsible for the law and order of this country,” he added.

In his first statement denying the vaccination, Arevalo said the military is thankful that soldiers are among the frontliners given high priority in the vaccination program.

In his second statement, Arevalo said the PSG took a "bold step" in having themselves inoculated with a vaccine.

“But we have taken cognizance of the fact that the members of the PSG under BGen Jesus Durante has taken a bold step to try the vaccine to protect the President,” he said.

Arevalo said the safety of the President equates to national well-being and security posture necessarily includes protecting him from the virus.

Duterte has authorized the FDA to issue an EUA for the use of a Covid-19 vaccine in the country for the duration of the public health emergency.

So far, only Pfizer/ BioNTech has applied for an EUA in the country. But the FDA has not issued such a permit as of Monday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque earlier said it would take the FDA at least 21 days to evaluate and approve Pfizer’s application.

It was not clear whether Duterte himself has received the vaccine, but the President on Saturday asked FDA Director General Enrique Domingo whether he could be inoculated again once the Pfizer vaccine becomes available in the country.

Responding to Duterte's claim that many Filipinos have received the Sinopharm vaccine, Domingo said they have not caught anybody.

"Wala nga po kaming mahuli. Naka-tatlong raid na po kami sa Makati at saka sa Binondo pero wala naman po kaming nahuli pa (We have not caught anybody. We have conducted raids in Makati and Binondo three times, but we have not caught anybody)," he said.

(Marites Villamor-Ilano / SunStar Philippines)

MANILA Malaca angonMondaydefendedthe Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) after some military personnel received Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm’s coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine despite having not been approved yet by local regulators.

In a Palace press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque explained that getting inoculated with a vaccine without approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Philippines is not a violation of Republic Act 9711 or the FDA Act of 2009.

“Hindi po pinagbabawal ng batas natin ang magpaturok ng hindi rehistrado. Ang b aw al po yungdistributionat yung pagbebenta. So ito naman po ay tinurok sa mga sundalo na pumayag(The law does not prohibit individuals from getting inoculated with vaccines that are not registered. What’s prohibited is the distribution and sale. So, this was only given to soldiers who agreed),” he said.

Citing FDA Director General Eric Domingo, isolated inoculation of vaccines is allowed if it is not commercially distributed or sold.

“Sabi nga po ngFDAnga kapag yung pagturok na hindi namancommerciallydistributed, commercially sold,hindi naman po ‘yun pinaparusahan o pinagbabawal(The FDA said that if the vaccine was not commercially distributed, commercially sold, it won’t be penalized or prohibited),” he added.

Roque said receiving the Sinopharm vaccine is a “personal decision” of some military personnel, adding that it is currently among the “most widelyused” vaccine so far.

He also noted that nearly 1 million Chinese people including workers, government officials, and students, have received the Sinopharm vaccine. Only a few people experienced symptoms but there were no adverse reactions.

“Siguro ‘yun yung dahilan kung bakit yung mga sundalong pumayag ayassurednaman sila n a 1 million nabakunahan, wala namang nangyari sa kanila(Perhaps that s the reason why the soldiers agreed to get inoculated because they were assured that since 1 million were already vaccinated, nothing will happen to them),” he sai d .

Not purchased by gov’t

Roque, meanwhile, appealed to the public not to deny members of the military from receiving vaccines early, noting that as front-liners they deserved to receive protection against Covid19.

“Huwag niyo naman pong ipagkait sa ating mga sundalo kung nagkaroon sila ng proteksyon. Tanggapin na lang po natin na importante na yung ating kasundaluhan, yung mga nagbabantay sa ating seguridad ay ligtas na sa Covid nang magampanan nila ang kanilang trabaho (Do not deny the protection needed by our soldiers. Let's just accept that our military is important, those who guard our security are safe from Covid so they can do their jobs),” he added.

He also said the Sinopharm vaccines were not purchased by government, so these “must have been donated” but could not say who gave the vaccines.

In a public address on Saturday night, Duterte said some Filipinos, including military personnel, have been inoculated with the Sinopharm vaccine.

“Halos lahat ng sundalo natusukan na(Almost all soldiers were inoculated with a vaccine). I have to be frank and I have to tell the truth. I will not foist a lie. Marami nang nagpatusok and lahat(Many have been inoculated),” he said.

Duterte said he wanted members of the military to be among the first to receive the vaccine because he did not want “sickly” military or police force.

“The reason why is that they have to be in good health all the time because they are responsible for the law and order of this country,” he added.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año also confirmed that some members of the Cabinet, as well as the Presidential Secu r i t y Gr ou p ( PSG) have been inoculated against Covid-19.

Senators earlier cast doubt over the reported 50-percent effectivity rate of the Sinopharm vaccine in trials in Brazil. They also noted the Sinopharm vaccine is more expensive than other brands.

Under Republic Act 9711, the manufacture, importation, exportation, sale, offering for sale, distribution, transfer, non-consumer use, promotion, advertising or sponsorship of health products without proper authorization is prohibited.

( PNA)