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JUSTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra revealed on Wednesday that he has instructed the National Investigations Office (NBI) to investigate the illegal distribution and administration of unregistered vaccines against Covid-19.
He said the NBI investigation will determine a possible violation of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Act, the Consumer Law and the Medical Practice Act, among others.
Guevarra, however, clarified that the investigation would not focus on a particular incident of unauthorized vaccination, such as the one that was administered to members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG).
“This is a general instruction, which does not focus on PSG or any particular incident of unauthorized vaccination,” Guevarra said.
The FDA has not yet issued an Emergency Use Authorization for any vaccine for COVID-19.
The law prohibits the “manufacture, import, export, sale, offer for sale, distribution, transfer, non-consumer use, promotion, advertising or sponsorship of any unauthorized vaccine.”
President Duterte previously said that some Filipinos, including the military, have already received the COVID-19 vaccine from Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm despite the lack of FDA approval.
The commander of the Presidential Security Group (PSG), Brigadier General Jesús Durante III, also admitted that some of the president’s security assistants have been administered the vaccine.
He justified this as a decision made in an emergency, where it was imperative to ensure that the president is protected from deadly disease by vaccinating those who work near him.
During this time, however, he refused to disclose how the vaccines were given.
