FDA, DOH: Vaccinated Tulfo Covered by Vaccination Smuggling Probe

Health authorities said on Tuesday they would expand their investigation into an unauthorized vaccine smuggled into the country to include newspaper columnist Ramon Tulfo, who recently revealed he had received two shots from a Chinese state-owned pharmaceutical company.

Tulfo said in its Manila Times column last Saturday that he had already taken two doses of the vaccine produced by China National Pharmaceutical Group, popularly known as Sinopharm, along with members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) and a few government officials’ in October last year. year.

“He will be examined because it is not good that there are individuals who are vaccinated without undergoing the right process, and with an unauthorized vaccine,” said Eric Domingo, director general of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). ), Said Wednesday Laging Handa briefing.

The FDA is already investigating PSG for the use of a vaccine it has not yet approved. President Roos spokesman Harry Roque said the shots for President Duterte’s bodyguards were made by Sinopharm and donated as a ‘sign’. He did not identify the donor.

Health Rosary Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a separate briefing that the ongoing investigation into the illegal vaccine will also include Tulfo. “If there are violations, there will be sanctions,” she said.

No PSG explanation

Domingo said the PSG had still not responded to letters from the FDA and the Department of Health (DOH) demanding a statement for the illegal use of the Sinopharm vaccine.

Sinopharm said that by December last year, the vaccine was 79.34 percent effective in protecting people against the coronavirus.

Tulfo, presented by mr. Duterte, appointed as his special envoy to China, said he “risked” his life when he received the shots so he could test the effectiveness of the Sinopharm vaccine, as he wanted to be one of the distributors in the country . .

He said in an interview with One News PH three days after publishing his column that he saw no ‘conflict of interest’ in trying to gain authority as a distributor while he was a special envoy. Besides, he said, the title was only ‘honorable’ and that he was still a private citizen.

A Foreign Department source told the Enquirer that even though Tulfo still holds the title, the country’s laws applied to him as a Filipino here in the country.

Aileen Lizada, a commissioner of the Public Service Commission (CSC), responded to reports of Tulfo’s actions but did not refer to him, saying “civil servants are not above the law.”

“Indeed, the recent disclosure by a government official about the use of an unregistered product and the plan to be a retailer of Sinopharm imposes the duty of a government official on the public,” Lizada said in a statement.

“Although said civil servant outside the disciplinary authority of the CSC is a presidential nominee, it is he, as with any other civil servant, to act and act in a manner worthy of being named a civil servant,” he said. she said. .

Lizada has the Republic Act no. 9711, or the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009, and the Republic Act no. 8203, or the special counterfeit law cited, which requires registration before any drug or product can be used by the public.

At present, the FDA has granted only three manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccines – Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Sinovac – an emergency use license (EUA).

It also allowed PSG to use 10,000 doses of Sinopharm under a license for compassionate use, but that would not be retroactive and would not cover last year’s illegal vaccinations.

‘VIP vaccination’

The deputy minority leader of the House and Carlos Isagani Zarate, representative of Bayan Muna, on Wednesday called on the leaders of the House to launch their own investigation into the ‘GDP vaccination’ of uniformed staff and public officials after following Tulfo’s announcement in its column.

“It appears that it is not only the Presidential Security Group that has undergone a GDP vaccination, but also other government officials who are using smuggled vaccines, based on Tulfo’s confession,” Zarate said.

The resolution no. 1451 of the Makabayan bloc requesting a congressional inquiry into the “GDP vaccination” was not recorded for trial.

“The investigation into this disorder would also dispel rumors, that even cabinet members and members of Congress were also among those who had already been vaccinated with Tulfo,” he said.

Rep. Ferdinand Gaite, Bayan Muna, said the use of smuggled vaccines by Tulfo should be the reason why he was not denied a license to distribute Sinopharm vaccines.

“There are no vaccines for the people, but the allies of the Duterte administration are only smuggling vaccines and enjoying a GDP vaccination. “Instead of being ashamed to do something wrong, he bragged about it,” the legislature said.

Gaite warned not to release Tulfo with his admission and that the people should not just be told to walk away from the case.

‘Healthcare workers and frontliners are still waiting to be vaccinated. Meanwhile, Duterte’s men smuggle vaccines left and right and are secretly vaccinated. “The government blames their shortcomings in the supply chain, but apparently they do not experience problems in supplying smuggled vaccines,” he said when investigating Tulfo’s claims.

Domingo also thwarted Tulfo’s allegation that the FDA was blocking access to Sinopharm’s vaccine in the country.

Sinopharm, which has no local Philippine distributor, has not submitted an application for an EUA or a compassionate use permit.

“Sinopharm asked us who could apply for an EUA, but so far they have not sent any application,” he said. “We accept all applications freely.”

Palace site

Roque said on Wednesday that Malacañang would leave it to the FDA to investigate Tulfo’s claims.

“In this time of pandemic, I understand that many people want protection. But what we are telling everyone is: let’s wait until it undergoes the process for our own good, ‘he said in a press release.

“We are awaiting FDA action on these matters,” Roque added.

Asked if there is a conflict of interest between Tulfo’s actions and the fact that he is a special envoy, he said: ‘We have no opinion at all. We leave it to the ombudsman. ”

President Duterte prefers the Sinopharm vaccine for him and his family and, according to Tulfo, spoke directly by phone with a representative of the company to get ‘samples’ of the shots.

But Roque said he could not confirm Tulfo’s report, adding that he did not hear the conversation between the columnist and the president as he was in another room.

“I do not confess anything Mon Tulfo said. What I’m saying is that this is his article. Ask him, not me, ”he said.

—With reports by Jerome Aning, Julie M. Aurelio, Nikka G. Valenzuela, Tina G. Santos, and Enquirer Research

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