DESPITE DUTERTE'S ORDER FOR PSG TO KEEP MUM

NBI to continue probe on unregistered COVID-19 vaccines

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will continue its investigation on the use of unregistered COVID-19 vaccines in the country even after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the Presidential Security Group to keep silent on the matter.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the NBI can get information from other sources.

"The focus of the NBI investigation is the alleged proliferation of unregistered anti-COVID 19 vaccines in the so-called black market and their unauthorized administration. The agency can obtain information from various sources," Guevarra said.

NBI Deputy Director and spokesperson Ferdinand Lavin, meanwhile, said they will communicate with PSG commander Brigadier General Jesus Durante III through the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“We are going to reach out to him either today or in the next few days, maybe through the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” Lavin said in an interview on CNN Philippines on Tuesday.

If the AFP will refuse to cooperate, Lavin said the NBI will build up the case based on independent evidence.

“Well kung hindi naman pumayag o mag-cooperate, ay patuloy naman ang imbestigasyon at we will build up the case on independent evidence,” he said.

Earlier in the day, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) cancelled its fact-finding investigation on the inoculation of PSG personnel.

Lavin said the NBI probe will only stop if the Justice department will withdraw its instruction to the bureau.

Following the controversy, the Department of Justice (DOJ) ordered NBI’s Special Action Unit

The DOJ order did not specifically mention the vaccination of PSG personnel.

“Tuloy ang NBI investigation dahil meron kaming order galing kay Secretary Guevarra na natanggap ng NBI kahapon,” Lavin said.

In his weekly address on Monday, Duterte said he would order the PSG to keep silent about the  unauthorized inoculation of some of its personnel if its officials would be summoned to a Senate inquiry.

Lavin pointed out that Duterte was particularly referring to a Senate inquiry. “Sa aking pakiwari, 'yung pagsabi ng mahal na Pangulo ay patungkol naman sa usapin ng Kongreso.”

The NBI will also ask the cooperation of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in the investigation.

BOC earlier said that it did not receive any formal communication on the importation of COVID-19 vaccines administered to the PSG personnel.

Aside from BOC, the NBI will also coordinate with civic leader Teresita Ang See, who earlier said that around 100,000 Chinese nationals in the Philippines have already been vaccinated against COVID-19.

According to her, the vaccinations started as early as November last year but she had no idea how the Chinese-developed vaccine was brought into the Philippines.—AOL, GMA News