Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, chair of the Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture. Senate PRIB file photo / Albert Calvelo
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said he finds nothing wrong giving COVID-19 vaccines to members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG), saying they are considered frontliners protecting the highest official of the land.
It was earlier revealed that some members of the PSG, Cabinet, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines have reportedly received unauthorized and unregistered vaccines against COVID-19.
This issue is now the subject of investigation by concerned government agencies, aside from separate probes being sought in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
“Ako personally, I don’t find anything wrong giving the PSG vaccines. Trabaho nilang protektahan ang ating Pangulo e [It’s their job to protect our President]….” Gatchalian told reporters on Wednesday.
“You can’t protect the President with social distancing kaya I don’t see any issue in giving the PSG priority,” he added.
Gatchalian said his only issue is smuggling since there is no approved COVID-19 vaccines yet in the Philippines.
Any untoward incident—illness or death— resulting from said unregistered vaccination could affect the COVID-19 vaccine confidence, he said.
“Baka wala ng magpabakuna kung mamatay dyan. Isa lang madisgrasya dyan wala ng magpapabakuna at magkakaroon tayo ng problema,” he said.
(No one might want to get vaccinated once someone died. If one of them suffers an ill-fate, no one will be wanting to get vaccinated and we will going to have a problem.)
The senator then pointed out to earlier reports that only 30 percent of Filipinos are willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
He was apparently referring to the OCTA Research survey , which showed that only one out of four or 25% of respondents in the metropolis are willing to receive vaccination once it becomes available in the country.