The Makabayan bloc is eyeing a House inquiry on the early--if not unauthorized--vaccination of some government officials and members of the military against COVID-19.
Speaking in a virtual press briefing Tuesday, Gabriela Party-List Rep. Arlene Brosas and ACT-Teachers Party-List Rep. France Castro said the militant group's impending call for an investigation is in the interest of transparency.
"Magfa-file ang Makabayan bloc ng resolusyon kaugnay dito para maimbestigahan kung ano ba ang nangyari dito. Marami tanong dito (The Makabayan bloc will file a resolution in connection with this so we may investigate what happened. We have a lot of questions)," Brosas said.
Earlier, President Duterte himself revealed that Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) personnel have already received an anti-COVID vaccine, particularly the one coming from China's Sinopharm.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año then confirmed that some members of the President's Cabinet as well as the Presidential Security Group (PSG) have already been vaccinated. Año didn't say which brand of vaccine was used.
Brosas said that it must be made known how the vaccine arrived in the country and how it was administered to the recipients.
"We demand transparency. Ipakita kung sino na mga na-injectionan, sino sa mga Gabinete, sino sa mga PSG niya at militar dahil concern din tayo dito. (He should tell us who in the Cabinet, the PSG, and military were given shots because this is also our concern)," Castro said, referrimg to Duterte.
It was last November when Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque laid out the government's vaccination roadmap wherein it was indicated that the first two sectors to receive the vaccine would be the indigent families and healthcare workers.
Brosas said it's alarming that the government didn't follow its own vaccination roadmap so that it could prioritize certain officials and the military.