PNP identifies suspect in sale of vaccine slots

Newly-installed Philippine National Police chief Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar leads his first command conference at the PNP headquarters in Crame Crame, Quezon City on May 8, Saturday.
PHOTO FROM PNP PIO

A day after the Philippine National Police came out empty on proof of the alleged sale of vaccines and inoculation slots, the PNP chief announced on Monday that it has identified a person behind the supposed activity.

Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, the PNP chief, said agents of the PNP criminal investigation and detection group (CIDG) were closing in on the suspect.

He did not, however, disclose the identity so as not to preempt police operations for the suspect’s arrest.

“Based on the initial result of the investigation, we have already identified at least one person who offered his high school friend two brands of vaccines for a price ranging from P12,000 to P15,500 through a social media messaging app,” Eleazar said in a statement.

Accounts deactivated

He noted that the suspect had been claiming to have contacts in the local governments of San Juan and Mandaluyong cities, “the reason why he could easily get vaccines and even guarantee slots for the vaccination.”

“Our CIDG investigators are now zeroing in on this person, although he had already deactivated all his social media accounts. And we assure the public that he will face the full force of the law for this kind of illegal activity,” the PNP chief said.

Benhur Abalos, chief of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), on Monday warned individuals involved in the sale of COVID-19 vaccination slots that they would be penalized for bribery, estafa and violation of the Bayanihan law.

Abalos said he had received leads from the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group about the scheme.

“Our governments have put in a lot of effort [in the vaccination program] and this cannot be tainted by anyone,” Abalos said in a televised public briefing.

50 NBI agents assigned

On Monday, Mandaluyong Mayor Carmelita Abalos and the MMDA chair sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation to identify the suspects behind the scheme.

The two officials spoke with Eric Distor, director of the NBI, who assigned 50 agents to the case.

Abalos has furnished the NBI proof of the supposed transactions involving the illegal sale of vaccination slots and vaccines against COVID-19 procured by the government, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said on Monday.

The National Task Force Against COVID-19 has warned that selling priority slots for vaccination was a criminal offense.

Asked what “leads” the MMDA chair has given so far to the NBI, he said: “The leads provided to us consisted of excerpts from certain online communications between the transacting parties.”

Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso signed an ordinance on Monday prohibiting any person, institution, corporation, group or organization from selling, distributing or administrating vaccines against COVID-19 for profit.

Under City Ordinance No. 8740, violators face a fine of P5,000 and imprisonment not exceeding six months. INQ