MANILA, Philippines — Presidential Security Group (PSG) Commander Brig. Gen. Jesus Durante III refused to name the “source” of the COVID-19 vaccines inoculated to President Rodrigo Duterte’s security detail but admitted that they “independently” requested for it.
“As I’ve always said, ‘di ko po pwedeng sabihin publicly and openly about our source because it’s unfair to our source. It could be a person, a state or a businessman or anybody,” Durante said Wednesday in an interview over Teleradyo.
(As I’ve always said, I cannot say publicly and openly about our source because it’s unfair to our source. It could be a person, a state, or a businessman, or anybody.)
“Kami yung actually lumapit, kami yung nakiusap that we would be acquiring the vaccines but rest assured that no public funds were used in that transaction and it was only a handful of vaccines purposely for the use of the security personnel of the President himself,” he bared.
(Actually, it was us who approached, we were the ones who requested that we would be acquiring the vaccines but rest assured that no public funds were used in that transaction and it was only a handful of vaccines purposely for the use of the security personnel of the President himself.)
Pressed if they asked to have the vaccines donated, Durante said: “Yes, kami mismo. We acted independently without the knowledge of any other, especially the President, without his knowledge or any other agency within the Republic of the Philippines.”
In an earlier interview, Durante said the PSG “vaccinated themselves” as early as September.
No COVID-19 vaccine has passed the Philippines’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as of date.
Neither the Department of Health nor the FDA was consulted over the vaccination of Duterte’s security detail and some Cabinet members.