Senate Committee of the Whole tasked to scrutinize Covid-19 vaccine plan must summon PSG chief

Presidential Security Group (PSG) Commander Brig. Gen. Jesus Durante III, who admitted that some members of the PSG “independently” inoculated themselves with unregistered Covid-19 vaccines, should appear before the Senate Committee of the Whole that will look into the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in the country in January, according to Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon on Thursday.

“The PSG Commander must be called and must appear in the investigation of the Committee of the Whole to shed light on this issue,” Drilon said. “The most important ‘who’ and ‘how’ of the story remains a mystery. The PSG commander is deliberately withholding the basic questions of who and how from the public.”

Durante took “full responsibility” for the administration of the unregistered vaccine to his members, admitting that they did the vaccination by themselves and without the knowledge of the President or any other agency.

“All they give to the public are alibis, excuses and lies. There is more to it that will be revealed to the committee once Brig. Gen. Durante appears in our hearing. The Senate must summon the PSG commander,” he said.

“Who else was involved? How did unregistered Covid-19 vaccines enter the country? Who imported it from China?” he added.

Drilon, who is among the first to call out the illegal administration of the China-made vaccine to some members of the cabinet, the PSG and the military, strongly supports the investigation of the National Bureau of Investigation on the issue.

“I support the order of Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra for the NBI to look into unauthorized inoculations against COVID-19 using unregistered vaccines. Laws appear to have been violated. The DOJ and the NBI are mandated by law to investigate. No one is above the law. The Rule of Law must be the rule, rather than an exception,” said Drilon.

The former justice secretary had earlier said that the Food and Drug Administration Law or Republic Act No. 3720, as amended by Republic Act No. 9711, prohibits the “manufacture, importation, exportation, sale, offering for sale, distribution, transfer, non-consumer use, promotion, advertising, or sponsorship of any health product that is adulterated, unregistered or misbranded or any health product which, although requiring registration, is not registered with the FDA pursuant to this Act.”

Drilon warned that those involved in the inoculation of unauthorized Sinopharm vaccine face a penalty of imprisonment ranging from 1 to 10 years or a fine of not less P50 thousand but not more half a million, or both. The manufacturer, importer or distributor faces stiffer penalties of 5 to 10 years imprisonment and a fine of P500 thousand to P5 million, he warned.

“The FDA’s assertion that it has not given any Emergency Use Authorization to any vaccine for Covid-19 is enough basis to prosecute those involved in this illegal inoculation. Our authorities should look into it and prosecute those involved,” he said.