PNP urges public to report illegal COVID-19 vaccine sales

A worker in Calamba, Laguna gets her first injection of coronavirus vaccine last May 1. photo FROM CENTER FOR HEALTH DEVELOPMENT CALABARZON

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday urged the public to report any information on incidents of illegal sale of COVID-19 vaccines following the recent arrest of a health worker for allegedly selling Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines.

“Yung information, as they come, we will act on them. Kaya nga hinihikayat natin yung mga kababayan natin na kung may impormasyon sila, idulog nila samin at maaksyonan natin yan,” PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ronnie Olay said in an interview over Teleradyo when asked of efforts to crackdown persons selling jabs.

(The information, as they come, we will act on them. This is why we encourage our countrymen that if they have information, they should report to us so that we can act on it.)

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Olay warned the public that the vaccines being sold might be doses smuggled into the country with risks of being fake.

He assured that the PNP is in coordination with local government units, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health in looking into the illegal sale of COVID-19 vaccines.

No COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines has so far been cleared for commercial use.

President Rodrigo Duterte warned vaccine vendors “not press their luck too far” as he ordered authorities to investigate and file charges against persons behind the sale of jabs. — Faith Yuen Wei Ragasa, trainee

EDV