Dela Rosa thanks PSG for being 'guinea pigs' of COVID-19 vaccine

Contrary to the position of many of his colleagues, Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa thanked members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) for allowing themselves to be "guinea pigs" through inoculation using unregistered vaccine against COVID-19.

In an interview with dzMM on Saturday, Dela Rosa said the public should not make an issue on the early COVID-19 inoculation of some PSG members, as it was their personal decision to protect President Rodrigo Duterte from contracting the novel coronavirus.

"Hindi pa nga established kung talagang epektibo ang bakuna na yan dahil hindi pa approved sa FDA pero sila ay nagpabakuna na. Edi nagpapasalamat tayo sa kanila at ginawa nila ang sarili nila na guinea pig diyan sa eksperimento na yan," he said.

"Kung maganda ang resulta, edi thank you. Kung pangit, kawawa naman sila at sinugal nila ang buhay nila para sa bakuna na yan," he added.

PSG commander Brigadier General Jesus Durante III admitted that his unit acquired the COVID-19 vaccine for free, and the President was only made aware that they have been inoculated after it was done.

He nevertheless took full responsibility on the matter, but refused to disclose the source of the vaccine.

Dela Rosa believes, though, that the PSG did not violate any law for receiving a COVID-19 vaccine even as no vaccine has yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"Nasayo na yan, kung gusto niyo magpabakuna o hindi. Wala namang batas na nagbabawal sa inyo na bawal kayo magpabakuna. So bahala na sila kung ano ang desisyon nila diyan," he said.

"When it comes to self-preservation, when your life is a stake, it brings out the best and the worst in us. Kaya kanya-kanyang decision-making na yan," he added.

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

In the end, Dela Rosa said he himself would be willing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, so long as it is "with the highest efficacy."

"Maganda sana kung yung magandang brand, nandito na sa atin at sigurado tayo. Kung available yun, merong Pfizer, kung available na sa public yan, edi pupuntahan natin yung pinakamaganda," he said.

"Buhay mo yan e. Bahala na kung magka-utang-utang tayo, hahanap ng pera para makabili lang ng with highest efficacy na vaccine. Doon ako pupunta kung available na," he added. #

Dela Rosa earlier tested positive for COVID-19 and was even hospitalized, but he has since recovered from the disease. —LBG, GMA News