PNP to monitor blackmarkets for counterfeit, unauthorized COVID-19 vax —Sinas

The Philippines National Police (PNP) will mobilize teams to look out for blackmarkets for counterfeit and unauthorized COVID-19 vaccines that may have entered the country, its chief Police General Debold Sinas said on Thursday.

In a statement, Sinas said he tasked the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Intelligence Group, and other police units to organize teams that will conduct the monitoring.

PNP will coordinate with the Department of Health, the National Task Force Against COVID-19, and the Food and Drug Administration.

“As emphasized by DOH, NTF, and FDA, no particular brand of COVID-19 vaccine is authorized to be marketed commercially in the Philippines,” Sinas said.

“The PNP will strictly implement this official policy, and take appropriate police action in accordance with existing laws,” he added.

Earlier, Presidential Security Group commander Brigadier General Jesus Durante III admitted that his personnel have already been inoculated with unauthorized vaccines as early as September last year.

The FDA conducted a probe on the action of the PSG and found a breach in the regulatory process. The National Bureau of Investigation also launched an investigation into unregistered COVID-19 vaccines.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said the inoculation rollout is expected to start this February as 117,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines from the Pfizer-BioNTech under the COVAX facility are expected to arrive.—Joviland Rita/AOL, GMA News