Bayan Muna solon slams ‘VIP’ vaccination for soldiers, Cabinet

Bayan Muna party-list Representative Ferdinand Gaite on Monday slammed the "VIP" COVID-19 vaccination for some members of the Cabinet and the military even as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to approve a vaccine against the virus.

In a statement, Gaite criticized presidential spokesperson Harry Roque for defending the inoculation of some soldiers, claiming that the law does not prohibit vaccinations using an unregistered product so long as it is not sold or distributed.

This was after President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday said that some members of the military already received the vaccine developed by Chinese firm Sinopharm.

"Nagsisinungaling itong si Roque. Labag iyang VIP Bakuna sa Republic Act 9711 na nagsasabing dapat kunin ng approval ng FDA sa lahat ng pagkakataon. Kahit totoong donasyon yan, kailangan pa rin ng pahintulot ng FDA para gamitin yan," Gaite said.

"Wala din itong Sinopharm vaccine sa mga application kahit para lamang sa clinical trials. So paanong nakalusot ito?" he added.

Gaite also argued that the COVID-19 vaccination for some soldiers violated the chain of prioritization that the government itself has set.

"Ayon sa DOH at FDA dapat mauna sa bakuna ang healthworkers, susundan ng mga indigent seniors at indigent families. Matapos nila, saka pa lamang ang mga uniformed personnel," he said.

Likewise, Gaite denounced the COVID-19 vaccination for some members of the Cabinet, as admitted by Interior Secretary Eduardo Año himself.

"Noon may 'VIP Testing,' ngayon naman may 'VIP Bakuna.' Ang depensa nila, frontliners naman daw. Frontliners din ba itong mga VIP?" he said.

"Kapag may aprubado ng vaccine, ang frontliners ang dapat inuna tulad ng mga healthworkers, mga doktor, mga nars, mga barangay healthworkers, mga kawani sa pampublikong ospital. Sila ang mga taong tunay na humaharap sa panganib ng sakit," he added.

The lawmaker lamented that doctors and nurses who are in the frontlines of the battle against COVID-19 have not been given their special risk allowance and hazard pay, and yet they were still not prioritized in the COVID-19 vaccination.

"Kaya naman pala walang urgency si Health Secretary [Francisco] Duque, kasi akala nila na safe na sila. Kaya naman pala okay na sila sa 50% efficacy rate, kasi naturukan na sila ng bakuna," Gaite said, referring to China's Sinovac which was said to be the Philippines' top priority for a COVID-19 vaccine.

"That's why Duque dropped the ball, because they already got the shots. Naka-score na pala sila ng 3-points para sa sarili nila," he added.

Gaite appealed to the government to put frontliners and other vulnerable sectors first in its COVID-19 vaccination program.

"Baka naman pwedeng asikasuhin na rin ng maayos at gawing totoong prayoridad ang bakuna para sa mga frontline healthworkers at para sa mamamayan? Matagal nang naghihintay ang mga healthworkers na asikuhin sila, baka naman pwedeng 'wag paasa,'" he said. — DVM, GMA News