MANILA, Philippines — Up to now, the Presidential Security Group (PSG) refuses to cooperate with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is investigating the agency after some of its members were reportedly inoculated against COVID-19 using smuggled Sinopharm vaccines in September 2020.
During Wednesday’s online Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum, FDA Director General Eric Domingo said there had been “absolutely no response” from the PSG.
“We have written to PSG to tell us if it was true. They haven’t replied to us. [Health] Secretary [Francisco] Duque [III] and the [Department of Health] have also written to them asking for details and there has been no information forthcoming,” he added.
According to Domingo, the FDA also tried working with the Bureau of Customs to check for smuggled vaccines only to be met with “a blank wall.”
“We still aren’t getting any information on that until now,” he said.
Surprised
PSG commander Brig. Gen. Jesus Durante III admitted in December that some of his men injected themselves with the vaccine in September. This was done without the President’s permission, he claimed.
Domingo said he was surprised by President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to have himself inoculated with Sinopharm, which has yet to be issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) by the FDA.“I was surprised there was an injection being done,” he told reporters, adding that there has been no real attempt from the manufacturer of the Chinese vaccine to apply for an EUA.
The FDA received emails from at least three representatives signifying their intent to apply for an EUA for Sinopharm but there were no actual documents submitted, Domingo said.