No ‘evil motive’ behind AFP chief Santos’ request for medicine from China — Palace

Malacañang sees nothing wrong with the request of Armed Forces chief General Felimon Santos Jr. for assistance from the Chinese government to procure potential medicine to fight COVID-19.

In a televised briefing on Tuesday, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Santos had no “bad intentions” when he sought China’s help to get access to Carrimycin tablets, which have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

“I don’t think naman there was any evil motive behind the actions of our good general,” Roque said amid questions about the propriety of the request in light of the maritime dispute between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea.

Santos got infected with COVID-19 but he has since recovered from the disease.

According to military spokesperson Brigadier General Edgard Arevalo, Santos believed the medicine helped him in his recovery.

“’Yun po ang nagpagaling sa kanya so nais lang niya na sana mapabillis ‘yung proseso na magamit din natin kung ano man ‘yung sa tingin niya nagpagaling sa kanya,” Roque said.

Roque also said Santos did not commit any crime since the military chief is not an importer or distributor of Carrimycin tablets.

The Palace official, however, said the drug should be registered with the FDA.

A letter of Santos addressed to Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian asking for assistance in the purchase of five boxes of Carrimycin tablets in China, circulated online on Monday.

In the letter, Santos said he wanted to give the medicine to some of his friends who got infected with the deadly virus.

Earlier in the day, Arevalo said the letter had already been withdrawn.

Defense chief Delfin Lorenzana, meanwhile, said that while there was nothing wrong with the letter, the request should have been coursed through the Department of Foreign Affairs. — RSJ, GMA News