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Palace: No gov't funds used to vaccinate PSG vs. COVID-19
By NICOLE-ANNE C. LAGRIMAS,GMA NewsMalacañang on Tuesday said no government funds were used for the vaccination against COVID-19 of members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG).
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said this means the government's prioritization for COVID-19 vaccination was not violated.
The PSG said members of President Rodrigo Duterte's close-in security detail were vaccinated
in an effort to ensure the highest official of the land is safe from COVID-19.It was Duterte himself who first disclosed that some members of the military have been inoculated using the vaccine from Sinopharm even though the Food and Drug Administration has yet to approve any COVID-19 vaccine in the country.
Roque said the government's priorities for vaccination — the poor, the elderly, and frontliners — remain the same.
"Dahil hindi naman po ito ginastusan galing sa kaban ng taumbayan, wala pong paglabag dito sa prayoridad na pinaninindigan natin hanggang ngayon," he said at a briefing.
He said he has no other information and cannot add to what Duterte has revealed about the matter.
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"It was not paid for so it is a donation, but that's all that I know," he said.
Roque added that he does not know how the vaccines got into the country.
"Hindi ko po alam kung pa'no 'yan nakalusot," he said.
The Bureau of Customs, which claimed it did not receive any formal communication on the importation of the vaccines given to the PSG, said charges could be filed against those involved should the vaccines be proven smuggled.
Roque said he supports the PSG's decision.
"Huwag na nating masamain 'yan dahil 'yan naman po ay magreresulta sa mabuting kalusugan ng ating Presidente. Let's close that issue at that," he said.
"Kung meron kayong problema na ayaw niyong pangalagaan ang kalusugan ng Presidente, we respect your opinion. As far as the PSG is concerned, and I fully support the decision of the PSG, they will do anything and everything to protect the health of the President. Tanggapin o hindi ng mga kalaban, that's that," he added. —KG, GMA News