Members of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s security detail “clandestinely” introduced an unauthorized COVID-19 vaccine into the country and administered it themselves, a senior defense official said Wednesday.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said members of the Presidential Security Group had obtained the vaccine without government permission or their knowledge.
When asked if the vaccine was smuggled into the county, Lorenzana said, “Yes, smuggling, because they were not authorized, only the government can authorize.”
The country’s Food and Drug Administration has not approved any vaccine.
Lorenzana said the unit needs to “explain why they were violating FDA regulations,” but continued to downplay the move.
“It’s justified … it will protect them so that they don’t get infected and at the same time they can protect the president,” Lorenzana said.
PSG Brigadier General Jesús Durante also defended the guards who use the unauthorized vaccine as a decision made in “good faith”.
Durant said the unit could not afford to wait for a coronavirus vaccine to be approved.
The president was only informed of the episode later, Durante said.
It is unclear how the vaccine was obtained or what was used.
Health Minister Francisco Duque said the country’s FDA is investigating.
With publishing cables