Palace sees ‘no evil motive’ behind AFP chief’s request to Chinese envoy

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang sees nothing wrong with Armed Forces chief General Felimon Santos’ letter to the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines seeking assistance to procure a COVID-19 experimental drug from China.

“I don’t think naman there was any evil motive behind the actions of our good general. Eh ‘yun po ang nagpagaling sa kanya so nais lang niya na sana mapablis ang proseso para magamit natin kung anuman sa tinging niyang nagpagaling sa kanya,” Palace spokesman Harry Roque said in a virtual press briefing in Malacañang Tuesday.

Santos earlier confirmed that he had written Chinese ambassador Huang Xilian to assist in the procurement of Chinese tablets which supposedly treated him from COVID-19.

The AFP chief said he sent the letter on Friday (April 24) and then recalled it on Sunday (April 26), when he found out that the drug has not been approved yet by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration.

In his undated letter, the AFP chief requested Huang’s “assistance in the procurement of five boxes of Carrimycin tablets which is available only in China.”

The AFP chief was diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 27 and placed himself on strict home quarantine for 14 days.

On April 5, Santos tested negative for the disease after taking the tablets which he said his doctors prescribed to him.

The letter has drawn flak on social media since Monday night but Santos insisted that letter was sent in a personal capacity despite carrying the letterhead of his office.

EDV