MANILA, Philippines — Despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s warnings, the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives has sought an investigation on what they called the “VIP COVID-19 vaccination” of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) using an unauthorized and unregistered vaccine against coronavirus disease.
Under House Resolution No. 1451 filed on Tuesday, the Makabayan bloc said the inoculation of PSG personnel is a “blatant violation of multiple laws and the oath to public office to uphold and defend the Constitution and to obey the laws” against unregistered drugs and smuggling.
The Makabayan bloc includes ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro; Bayan Muna Reps. Eufemia Cullamat, Carlos Zarate, and Ferdinand Gaite; Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas; and Kabataan Partylist Rep. Sarah Jane Elago.
“The people thus demand for the administration’s complete transparency regarding the VIP vaccination: Who were the officials and employees vaccinated? How did the unregistered vaccines enter the country? What vaccination products were administered? Who were the officials responsible for the procurement, smuggling, and administration of illegal vaccines? The PSG and the Office of the President must be forthcoming to the people about this and other relevant information,” the lawmakers said in the resolution.
“The said VIP vaccination follows in the footsteps of the administration’s failure on mass testing which resulted to VIP testing of select politicians and public officials and the wealthy,” they added.
The lawmakers pointed out that based on the vaccination plan and priority as released by the Department of Health, the military and uniformed personnel only ranks fifth among the priority recipients — behind frontline health workers, employees of select government offices, and senior citizens.
They also claimed that “the funds used for the illegal procurement and administration of the unauthorized and unregistered vaccines came from the government coffers and from the taxpayer.”
“Much like what happened with the VIP COVID testing, the VIP vaccination exposes the lack of a clear, fair, and sound plan on mass vaccination in particular, and on the control and management of the pandemic in general,” the lawmakers said.
The Makabayan bloc filed the resolution despite Duterte’s warning to Congress against “tinkering” with the PSG issue. The President also warned lawmakers against citing PSG personnel in contempt for ignoring the inquiry.