Critics of the Duterte administration in the House of Representatives on Wednesday continued to bash the government for the unauthorized COVID-19 vaccination of military personnel, specifically members of the Presidential Security Group.
Asst. Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro said Filipinos now have an idea who the “real cheats are” in the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination program of government.
Castro said government gave the frontliners and other vulnerable sectors false hopes that they will be on top of the priority vaccination list.
Instead, priority for COVID 19 immunization was given the PSG and other members of the administration.
Worse, officials were totally aware that violations of the law have been committed by them for administering a vaccine that has not been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration.
Reacting to government’s admission that the vaccines administered to PSG personnel were smuggled contraband, the Kabataan Partylist said there is no way President Duterte was not made aware of this fact.
“Hindi malilinlang ang mamamayan. Hindi na natin matiis ang pang-iinsulto -- na ginagawa tayong bobo ng mga opisyal ng gobyerno (Citizens cannot be fooled anymore. We can no longer take the insults of being treated by government officials like we are stupid),” the youth organization said.
Officials have been scrambling for a number of explanations to defend the PSG vaccination that has angered many Filipinos.
The Food and Drug Administration said that based on reports reaching the agency, it is becoming clear that the inoculation of PSG men and other government personnel violated the law.
Asked how the vaccines went past border inspection, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana claimed the COVID-19 vaccines were smuggled.
HOwever, Lorenzana said that despite the questionable vaccination of PSG men, he maintained that this is “justified.”