AFP spokesman, Marine Major General Edgard Arevalo admitted Monday that Duterte’s Presidential Security Group (PSG) were the first ones in the military to received COVID-19 vaccines, even if the regulators have not yet approved any vaccine for use in the Philippines.
In a statement early Monday, Arevalo denied reports of vaccination in the Armed Forces.
“The AFP is not aware of COVID-19 inoculation made to military personnel. We do not have an AFP Leadership-sanctioned vaccination. We are getting details,” he said.
However, he updated his statement later on and admitted that “members of the Presidential Security Group,” which is in charge of President Duterte’s security, “were the first ones from the AFP who were vaccinated owing to the nature of their mission and function.”
Meanwhile, Palace spokesperson Harry Roque urged the public to “just accept” that some members of the military were given COVID-19 vaccines already.
Roque confirmed that some soldiers received experimental COVID-19 vaccine from Chinese drug maker Sinopharm.
“Huwag ‘yo naman pong ipagkait sa ating mga sundalo kung nagkaroon sila ng proteksyon,” he said in a virtual press briefing.
“Tanggapin na lang po natin na importante na iyong ating kasundaluhan, iyong mga nagbabantay sa ating seguridad ay ligtas na sa COVID nang magampanan nila ang kanilang trabaho,” he added.
Presidential Security Group first to receive COVID-19 vaccines
(Don’t deprive our soldiers of protection from the disease. Let us just accept that it is important that our soldiers, those who are guarding our security are safe from COVID so they can do their jobs.)
Roque claimed that giving unregistered COVID-19 vaccines to soldiers was not illegal.
“Ang bawal po ay iyong distribution at pagbebenta,” said Roque.
(What is banned is is distribution and sale.)
“The soldiers must have made this, and probably their commanders kasi hindi naman po iyan makakarating sa sundalo kung walang go signal ng commanders,” Roque said when asked who administered the vaccines.
(It would not have reached the soldiers if there was no go signal from the commanders.)
“And I understand naman this is voluntary,” he said.
Roque also told the public not to panic if the Philippines failed to secure COVID-19 vaccines from the Western countries as China is offering its own vaccine which it already gave to over 1 million of its people since July.