Ivermectin takes center stage-3

By Modesto P. Sa-onoy

 

Because the agenda of Rep. Tan’s scheduled hearing of March 25 was fully loaded, Rep. Enrico Pineda (1-PACMAN Party-list) narrowed the subject when he filed a resolution demanding the FDA explain its negative policy against Ivermectin.

As cited before, Congressman Pineda, not a medical doctor, took Ivermectin as early as September last year and got well without any complications. Pineda had thus first-hand experience and his claim that Ivermectin “was found to reduce the effects of COVID-19 on infected patients when used with vitamins and supplements,” cannot be brushed aside. While we understand the prudence of the FDA, the situation is an unprecedented international health emergency that everything that works should be considered positively, unless one has a different agenda that will be adversely affected by an alternative.

Unfortunately for the Philippines our FDA and DOH do not seem very concerned about unprecedented health emergencies, deaths due to the pandemic, business closing and millions of Filipinos losing their means of livelihood and the national government borrowing and spending billions. These two agencies waited for the vaccine from international Big Pharma. Can we refrain from suspecting they are benefactors of these firms that they seem to sacrifice the country?

I suggest Congress demand full disclosures from the heads of FDA and DOH. We already know by simply checking Google some people inside these agencies are with the Global Fund with Bill Gates dominating the scene.

During the hearing, FDA and DOH repeated their claims against Ivermectin as already cited yesterday and further claimed that the “claimed success” are “anecdotal at best.”

On the part of the DOH, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire reiterated a position by various medical groups including the Philippine Medical Association, the University of the Philippines’ National Institutes of Health that the drug does not “significantly reduce” mortality risks among mild to severe COVID-19 patients. “Ivermectin was not associated with a definite benefit in terms of other clinically important outcomes such as clinical improvement at Day 6 to 10,” said the DOH prepared statement that she read.

Granting that claim to be universally true, which is not, did FDA and DOH take any initiative to investigate to assist considering the country is in dire need of help? As we know they did not, in fact, they did not only not lift a finger but with other agencies threatened the doctors whose “anecdotal success” are considerable. If only for this negligence FDA and DOH are already, at least morally culpable for the deaths of the victims.

Worse, FDA and DOH were silent when there was an admission that the vaccine was illegally imported and used by the Presidential Security Group. Look for selectivity no farther.

Publications are many that doctors and researchers around the world have been legally using off-label drugs or those meant for other illnesses to treat COVID-19 patients and they are not bullied. What is good elsewhere is not good for Filipinos? Do the successes of Ivermectin threaten DOH and FDA?

On March 31, I was invited to a Zoom press conference with congressmen and doctors on the issue of ivermectin. Topic: Joint Press Conference on Early Treatment as Protocol as New Protocol to Address the Pandemic. It took about three hours because of many participants that included Deputy Speaker Bernadette Tan and Representatives Mike Defensor, Dante Marcoleta, and Enrico Pineda. There were Dr. Allan Landrito, several other doctors and prominent personalities. It was also covered by radio and netizens.

The views were mainly in support of Ivermectin and reports of many experiences with Ivermectin with happy endings – the best arguments to support the use of this drug. The congressmen promised to bring this matter to the full House and one, in particular, said that Senator Manny Pacquiao is interested to raise this issue in the Senate. The consensus is to push the FDA and DOH to grant emergency authorization for Ivermectin as is being done in other countries.

Indeed dozens of countries are allowing Ivermectin, including the US but why not in the Philippines? Congress should demand answers for this because the country is already on the brink of economic collapse and thousands of people are in despair for lack of employment.

Continued tomorrow.