TWO days after bragging about the early immunization of soldiers using China-made COVID-19 vaccines, President Rodrigo Duterte is now singing a tune at the extreme end of what he had said in his public address last Saturday.
In a news conference, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that the President did not authorize the vaccination of soldiers with Sinopharm’s experimental vaccine against COVID-19.
“I don’t think so. It must have been the decision of the commanders and the soldiers,” Roque said.
The Palace mouthpiece however could not say as to where the vaccines came from although he claims those could have been donated.
Earlier today, Philippine Army chief Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana said the vaccines came from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, with no less than Duterte as the commander-in-chief.
Duterte on Saturday said that some soldiers already received the vaccine developed by Sinopharm, a Chinese state-owned pharmaceutical company.
Roque further averred that only willing soldiers received the shots.
“It was not mandatory; kung sino lang ‘yung gusto,” he said. “Kahit ikaw po ay isang sundalo, kung ayaw mo talagang magpakuna, kahit anong brand ng bakuna ‘yan, hindi ka po mapipilit.”
To date, the government has yet to give any clearance for the use, sale and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines pending the approval by the Food and Drug Administration.
Aside from the soldiers, Cabinet members have also been vaccinated even before its approval.
No less than Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año made the confirmation, which also hinted on members of the Presidential Security Group as having received the dose after the Cabinet members.
“Alam mo kasi that is what you call privacy, kumbaga confidential ‘yun eh. You cannot divulge because I might be violating his privacy, but I know some from the Cabinet and from the Presidential Security Group,” Año said.
For Año, the vaccines could already be used especially by health workers and other frontliners because of the emergency use authorization.
“‘Yung mga gamot na ‘yan may EUA yan eh, emergency use authorization. Kahit na hindi pa ‘yan formally and finally approved, in times of pandemic, puwede gamitin ‘yan ng mga tinatawag nating health workers, frontliners,” he said.
“‘Yun ‘yung essence noon eh, bakit mo aantayin ‘yung final approval kung nangamatay na ‘yung mga health workers at mga frotliners,” he added.
So far, only the Pfizer-BioNTech had applied for an emergency use authorization (EUA) for its vaccine as disclosed by presidential spokesman Harry Roque over the weekend. The process of approval is expected to last up to 21 days.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has also issued a separate statement denying the issuance of any authorization for the vaccination of soldiers against COVID-19.
At the Laging Handa press briefing, AFP spokesperson Major General Edgardo Arevalo said that while President Rodrigo Duterte has issued a statement that some soldiers have already received the shots, they have not been formally informed about it.
“Una sa lahat, wala pong AFP-sanctioned na inoculation o pagbabakuna sa mga miyembro ng Armed Forces of the Philippines,” Arevalo said.