Tulfo ‘willing to give up’ special envoy post for Sinopharm distributorship

MANILA, Philippines — Columnist Ramon Tulfo, who sits as President Duterte’s special envoy to China said on Wednesday that he is willing to give up his diplomatic post if he will become a local distributor of the Chinese vaccine maker, Sinopharm.

“Yes, willing ako (I am willing),” Tulfo said in an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo when asked if he is willing to give up his post if he becomes a distributor of Sinopharm, which has yet to receive emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

After all, Tulfo said, he is not sure if he is still Duterte’s special envoy to China since his appointment has already lapsed last year. He, however, added that his appointment has not been revoked.

Tulfo first disclosed his links to the supposed representative of the Chinese vaccine manufacturer to the Philippines in his Saturday column, claiming that he has already been vaccinated with Sinopharm last October “along with some government officials” whom he did not name.

He said he has already received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine from Sinopharm.

He further disclosed that Duterte, had told him of his desire to be inoculated with Sinopharm’s vaccine, along with the rest of his family, and that he would have himself injected in public to assure confidence in the vaccine program, and in his believe that it is “the best among the brands in the market.”

The President, in a call to the Sinopharm representative in the country made through Tulfo’s cellphone, also repeated his request for samples of the vaccine for him and his family, said the columnist.

‘Conflict of interest?’

Asked if he thought there was conflict of interest in his actions, considering his position as a government official.

Anyway, he said, he got vaccinated as a private citizen and not as a government official, even while admitting that his vaccination was done “under the radar.”

“Correct, under the radar ‘yan kaya I don’t entertain guilt feelings about having [been] injected with the vaccine kasi I was not doing so as a government official but as a private citizen,” he said.

(Correct, that is under the radar that’s why I don’t entertain guilt feelings about having been injected with the vaccine because I was not doing so as a government official but as a private citizen.)

“Meron kasi akong kaibigan na nakiki-pagnegotiate na maging distributor dito. Kaya hindi ako nag-apply sa China or Sinopharm kung hindi dito sa isang kumpanya sa Pilipinas na nag-a-apply na maging exclusive distributor,” he added.

(I have a friend who is negotiating to become a distributor here. That’s why I did not apply to China or Sinopharm to become a distributor, but to a company in the Philippines who wants to become an exclusive distributor.)

Tulfo said his intention in getting vaccinated is to know the effect of Sinopharm jabs, in line with his aim of becoming a distributor of the vaccines to the Philippines.

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