Makabayan solons to call for House probe on 'VIP' COVID-19 vaccination

The House Makabayan Bloc will file a resolution seeking an investigation into what they described as "VIP" COVID-19 vaccination of some members of the military, the Cabinet, and the Presidential Security Group (PSG).

In a virtual press conference, ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro said they will file the resolution next week so that the questions raised on the early inoculation of some individuals may be answered.

"Magsa-submit kami ng resolution by next week para maimbestigahan itong ginawa ng Duterte administration tungkol sa pagbabakuna na nauna na," she said.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday said some members of the military already received the vaccine developed by Chinese firm Sinopharm even though the Food and Drug Administration has yet to approve any COVID-19 vaccine in the country.

Philippine Army chief Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana later on said members of certain military units had been vaccinated. He was not certain if the vaccines given to military officials and non-commissioned officers were indeed from Sinopharm.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Major General Edgard Arevalo, meanwhile, said that soldiers who are part of the PSG were the first ones who got vaccinated against COVID-19.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año also confirmed that some members of the Cabinet have also been vaccinated already.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, in defending the inoculation of soldiers, claiming that the law does not prohibit vaccinations using an unregistered product so long as it is not sold or distributed.

Castro said that with members of the military and Cabinet officials getting the first COVID-19 shots, the Duterte administration itself violated its own vaccination roadmap wherein frontliners and poor Filipinos will receive the vaccines first.

"Totoo yung sinabi ni President Duterte na by December may vaccine na. Pero sinahula ng Duterte administration itong kanya mismong road map at naging makasarili," she said.

Castro called on the Duterte administration to be transparent in the inoculation of soldiers and Cabinet members.

"Ipakita sino na yung mga na-injectionan, sino sa mga Gabinete, sino sa mga PSG niya at militar dahil concerned din tayo dito dahil baka kung ano ang mangyari sa kanila, ano na ang magiging epekto nito. Tayo rin, ang bansa rin natin ang mananagot sa kanila," she said.

Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Zarate echoed the call of Castro, especially that many officials have already confirmed the vaccination of some military and Cabinet officials.

"Ang panawagan natin ay maging transparent ang administrasyong ito at hindi i-justify ang isang bagay na malinaw naman. The FDA already issued a statement na wala pa silang pinayagan at malinaw sa batas na ito ay prohibited at illegal ito," he said.

Bayan Muna party-list Representative Ferdinand Gaite earlier said that the "VIP" vaccination of some military men and Cabinet officials is in violation of RA 9711 or the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009.

"[Ang RA 9711 ay] 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.—AOL, GMA News