Solon likens COVID vaccine received by military, Cabinet to 'illegal drugs'

Bayan Muna party-list Representative Ferdinand Gaite likened the COVID-19 vaccine that some members of the military and Cabinet received to an "illegal drug" considering that no vaccine has been approved yet by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"Tawagin na natin sigurong illegal drugs itong pinasok na ginamit sa mga sundalo at mga members ng Cabinet," Gaite said in a virtual press conference on Tuesday.

"Bakit? Kasi nga hindi approved ng FDA. So sila ay gumamit ng illegal drugs, sa totoo lang," he added.

The issue on the supposed "VIP" vaccination came to light after President Rodrigo Duterte said some members of the military already received the vaccine developed by Chinese firm Sinopharm.

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 Presidential Security Group (PSG) were the first ones who got vaccinated against COVID-19.

PSG commander Brigadier General Jesus Durante III admitted that his unit acquired the COVID-19 vaccine for free, but declined to disclose its source.

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

Gaite questioned how Sinopharm was able to gain entry into the country when the FDA has yet to approve the registration for any vaccine against COVID-19.

"Sabi ng iba is it just the government dropping the ball sa pagbili ng Pfizer? Ako I think otherwise. I think may... ng katiwalian kasi fine-favor itong Chinese vaccine na Sinopharm. Kaya nakakabahala," he said.

Gaite likewise criticized presidential spokesperson Harry Roque for defending the inoculation of soldiers with an unregistered COVID-19 vaccine by claiming that the law does not prohibit vaccinations using an unregistered product so long as the vaccine is not sold or distributed.

Roque has also said the vaccine given to the PSG was a donation, but he did not specify the source.

Gaite pointed out that Republic Act 9711 or the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009 explicitly prohibits the "manufacture, importation, exportation, sale, offering for sale, distribution, transfer, non-consumer use, promotion, advertising" of any unregistered health product.

"I think siya lawyer siya, he should know the law. And yet, they are tripping among themselves para lang ipaliwanag na legal ang ginawa nila," Gaite said.

The House Makabayan Bloc is set to file a resolution in January to investigate the "VIP" vaccination for some military and Cabinet members. —KBK, GMA News