Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s security officials smuggled an unauthorized COVID-19 vaccine into the country and administered it to themselves, a defense official said on Wednesday.
Defense Minister Delfin Lorenzana said members of the presidential security group received the vaccine without government approval.
Asked if the vaccine had been smuggled to the province, Lorenzana said: “Yes, smuggled, because only the government can authorize it.”
No vaccine has been approved by the country’s food and drug administration.
Lorenzana said the unit “should interpret because they violate FDA rules,” but further underestimated the action.
“It’s justified … it will protect them so they are not infected and at the same time can protect the president,” Lorenzana said.
PSG chief Brigadier General Jesus Durante also defended the guards using the unauthorized vaccine as a ‘good faith’ decision.
Durante said the unit could not afford to wait for the approval of a coronavirus vaccine.
The president was only notified of the episode thereafter, Durante said.
It is unclear how the vaccine was obtained or which one was used.
Health Minister Francisco Duque said the country’s FDA was investigating.
With Post threads