Palace says COVID-19 vaccines from Sinopharm used for PSG were donated

Screenshot from PCOO video/Courtesy PCOO/RTVM

 

(Eagle News) – Malacanang said that the COVID-19 vaccines used to inoculate members of the Presidential Security Group, particularly the close-in security of President R

odrigo Duterte, were from donations.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that no public funds were used for the vaccines that came from Sinopharm, a pharmaceutical firm based in China.

Roque said that the PSG commander, Brig. Gen. Jesus Durante III, had already explained how protecting the health of the President was a matter of national security, and he sees nothing wrong with this.

He said that there were no conditions made with the vaccine donations, and its use is allowed by law.

Minabuti po nila na bakunahan na iyong mga taong nakapaligid at nagbabantay sa ating Presidente. Wala pong ginastos na pera galing sa kaban ng bayan dito kaya wala pong nalabag na prayoridad na ating sinabi sa publiko,” he said Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020.

Dahil hindi naman po ito ginastusan galing sa kaban ng taumbayan, wala pong paglabag dito sa prayoridad na pinaninindigan natin hanggang ngayon,” he said.

-All vaccines to pass thru FDA-

Roque also said that the use of Sinopharm vaccines for the PSG does not mean that it is already at an advantage in terms of the Philippine government procurement for its mass vaccination roll-out next year.

He said all vaccines would still go through the approval process of the Food and Drug Administration, including those applying for emergency use authorization.

Lahat po iyan dadaan po sa proseso na ang sabi po ng FDA ay kinakailangan ipakita nila iyong EUA nila sa ibang bansa at ang pagkakaintindi ko naman po itong Sinopharm mayroong EUA galing sa Tsina, galing po sa UAE kung hindi ako nagkakamali. Lahat naman po iyan dadaan sa proseso, wala pong favoritism,” he explained.

(Eagle News Service)