Some 100,000 Chinese nationals living and working in the Philippines have already been vaccinated against COVID-19, despite the lack of approval of any vaccine, according to a Chinese-Filipino civic leader.
Teresita Ang See said the vaccinations started as early as November last year but she had no idea how the Chinese-developed vaccine was brought into the country.
She said most of the Chinese nationals who received the vaccine work for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
Ang See said these Chinese nationals had confidence in the vaccine.
Roque could not confirm Ang See’s statement but said if it were true, that was “100,000 less possible carriers of COVID-19.”
The Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009 prohibits the manufacture, importation, exportation, sale, and distribution, among others, of "any health product that is adulterated, unregistered or misbranded."
Those convicted of the crime will be sentenced to one to 10 years of imprisonment or a fine of P50,000 to P500,000, according to the law.
Manila’s Ambassador to Beijing Jose Santiago Sta. Romana said Monday two of China’s vaccine makers, Sinopharm and Sinovak, will seek emergency use approval from the FDA this week.
The private sector has allocated some P120 million to procure 450,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine for the COVID-19, half of which will be donated to the government to inoculate people chosen by the government.
In a virtual briefing with presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr., Ayala Corp. chief operating officer Fernando Zobel de Ayala said the private sector will assist in both the procurement of the vaccines and the distribution throughout the country.
The government requested that 50% be given to individuals that the government selects, and 50% will be given back to the private sector so that we can also provide the vaccine for the people who need it," said Zobel.
Zobel said the unit price of the vaccine is at $5.50, with $0.50 set aside for the logistics given the requirements for transporting the medicines.
Meanwhile, Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Monday asked why the country still doesn’t have a COVID-19 vaccine when other countries have already begun administering them.
This, he said, would be among the questions he hopes will be answered on Jan. 11, when the Senate Committee of the Whole begins hearings on the government’s program to roll out COVID-19 vaccines.
The original question was why does the country not have a vaccine yet, and how will it be stored and distributed, Sotto said.
Now, with the controversy over the early inoculation of members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG), the issue has become why do others already have the vaccine, he added.
He also raised questions about the PSG vaccination.
“How are they sure that an anti-COVID (vaccine) was used and not (an) anti-flu (shot)? Right? How did President Duterte know it was an anti-COVID vaccine? Was there a lab report? Which lab?” Sotto said.
Senator Francis Pangilinan supported Vice President Leni Robredo's call for a transparent investigation of the unregistered vaccines given to some members of the military and the President's security personnel.
"An honest and transparent investigation of the so-called smuggled vaccines and a credible result will bring back the confidence of the people in the government's vaccination program,” he said, adding that the persons who ordered an illegal act should be punished.
The senator said the inoculation of the military and the President'sguards made a mockery of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has been working hard to find safe vaccines for the Filipinos against COVID-19.
It also endangers the military personnel inoculated since unauthorized vaccines still lack the safety and efficacy requirements.
Pangilinan also said the early inoculation of the PSG members raised questions about who really has priority access to vaccines.
Earlier, Robredo pushed for the investigation so as not to send the wrong signal to the people that illegal acts will be tolerated.
Pangilinan said no good intention would justify an unlawful act.
On Dec. 14, the Senate approved Pangilinan’s Senate Resolution 594 asking the Senate Committee of the Whole to look into the government’s national Covid-19 vaccination program.
The Palace, meanwhile, welcomed the initiative of local governments to inoculate their constituents against COVID-19.
All transactions for procuring COVID-19 vaccines will still be "government-to-government" and will pass through vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez, said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque.
Local governments that have allotted their own funds for the COVID-19 vaccination include Manila, Pasig, Navotas, and Valenzuela.