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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Senate to decide if Durante will appear in hearing

Senate to decide if Durante will appear in hearing

Published Jan 4, 2021 02:42 pm

Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III said he will ask the Senate, constituted as Committee of the Whole (CoW), if Brig. Gen. Jesus Durante III, Philippine Security Group commander, will be invited to its initial public hearing on Jan. 11 over the COVID-19 vaccine that some members of President Duterte’s security detail allegedly received.

Sotto wondered what vaccine the PSG received – if it was for COVID-19 vaccine or  merely an anti-influenza shot.

The supposed unauthorized vaccination of some PSG members with an alleged smuggled vaccine was revealed the other week by President Duterte himself.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon wanted the COW to summon Durante over this issue.

The inoculation of PCG members triggered questions from medical frontliners who were supposed to be the first to have the COVID-19 vaccine.

Sotto asked how Duterte knew that the PSG members had COVID-19 shots.

‘’May lab(oratory) report? Sinong lab?’’ he added. (Was there a laboratory report? Which laboratory?)

Sotto also asked how the vaccines were determined to be smuggled. 

“Paano nila nalaman? Ni lab test ba nila? Eh kung anti-flu pala ‘yun? Illegal ba ‘yun? (How did they know? Was it lab tested? Supposing it was for flu? Is it illegal?)”

Sen. Ronald ‘’Bato’’ dela Rosa, a former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, congratulated the vaccinated PCG members for having offered themselves as ‘’guinea pigs.’’

Sotto said he would consult his peers first if Durante would be asked to appear before senators.

‘’The original question of the hearing is ‘Bakit wala pa tayong vaccine?’ ‘Kailan at paanong distribute at paano storage?’ Samantalang ang issue nila, ‘Bakit meron vaccine ang iba?’ Baka next time if we need to (Why is it that the Philippines still does not have the vaccine? When and how will the vaccine be distributed? How will it be stored? And the burning issue is: Why were vaccines available while others did not have vaccine shots?),’’ Sotto said. 

Sen. Richard J. Gordon, chairman and CEO of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), had earlier said Durante should consider resigning.

Durante, according to Gordon, might just be protecting the  President.  “But the law is clear in that the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) should first check the importation, distribution, and use of the drugs after analysis.”

Gordon cited the penalties to be imposed on violators.

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