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PSG chief should consider resigning amid vaccine controversy —Gordon


Presidential Security Group commander Brigadier General Jesus Durante III should consider resigning from his post in the face of the controversial inoculation of his troops with an unregistered COVID-19 vaccine, Senator Richard Gordon said Sunday.

In a Dobol B sa News TV interview, Gordon said that as the commanding officer, the liability on whatever could happen to the inoculated PSG members would fall on Durante.

At the same time, he believes that inoculation of the PSG members violated the law against smuggling as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to approve the registration of any vaccine against COVID-19.

"Siyempre ikaw ang commanding officer, dapat sasabihin mo sa tao mo na hindi kita ipapahamak. E kung napahamak ang mga tao dahil hindi naman dumaan sa proseso? E kung nakamatay yan, paano ngayon?" Gordon said.

"Lalabas yan e talagang may at least homicide sa kasong isasampa sa kanila. So ang sinasabi ko, I think dahil he (Durante) violated the law, he should consider resignation," he added.

Durante earlier 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 added that the PSG members got vaccinated to protect the President from the virus.

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

Gordon believes, though, that there is a proper way of getting PSG members vaccinated.

He added that good faith "is not enough to defend against a criminal act."

"Hindi mo kailangan ang intent. Basta nahulihan ka diyan, you are in possession of a smuggled item, you are in a possession of a controlled item na dapat ite-test bago gamitin, that's already enough for a violation," Gordon said.

Likewise, the senator said that while he admires Durante for his loyalty to the President, his acts should still be within the bounds of law.

"I admire him for being steadfast in his loyalty sa Presidente, pero ang loyalty dapat nasa lugar sa batas," he said.

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.

Amid this new controversy, the FDA said that donations of the vaccine still require clearances, and said that the PSG's procurement of them was a breach of the regulatory process.  —LBG, GMA News

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