Receiving ‘token’ unregistered vaccines not graft? De Lima slams Palace

Senator Leila De Lima on Wednesday said accepting unregistered COVID-19 vaccines that were supposedly donated to be used by some members of the government can be considered graft and worse.

In a statement, the opposition senator pointed out that the jurisprudence on Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, does not measure the value of the gift or the occasion.

"What is important here, in our view, is whether the gift is received in consideration for help given or to be given by the public officer," De Lima said.

She emphasized this after presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that the law, which prohibits public officials from receiving gifts, is not "absolute" when he was asked whether the acceptance of unauthorized vaccines could be considered a violation of such.

"Ako po ay abogado. Hindi po iyan absolute, iyong mga tokens po pinapayagan naman lalo na kung panahon ng Pasko. Puwede pong tokens," Roque said in a public briefing.

Pressed whether COVID-19 vaccine shots for several PSG personnel are "tokens," Roque reiterated that they were donated.

"I don't think it's of much value anyway," he said. "It was not paid for, so it is a donation but that's all that I know."

De Lima mocked Roque and President Rodrigo Duterte for always flaunting that they are lawyers when they allegedly cannot follow the law.

She said the unregistered vaccines are not tokens but rather "coveted illegal contrabands smuggled into our country contrary to our laws."

"Ilegal na nga 'yung regalo, tinanggap pa nila. Malamang tatanaw pa sila ng utang ng loob doon sa kung sino mang criminal ang nagbigay sa kanila," the opposition senator said.

"Duterte’s acceptance makes him party to said unlawful activities... Not only did he endanger himself, he endangered our national security by ordering senior military officials to receive the illegal vaccine without regard to its side effects, or even its actual contents," she added.

Malacanang has earlier denied that it was Duterte who authorized the immunization among the PSG using an unregistered COVID-19 vaccine.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano also said the President, 75, has not received any vaccine against the novel disease yet.

The PSG admitted that the COVID-19 vaccine shots they received were donated upon their request, but refused to disclose its source. — BM, GMA News