Malacañang assured the public that the government will go "all-out" in getting to the bottom of the illegal sale of coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines, saying no one should profit from the suffering of the nation.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque made the statement after the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested three individuals, including a registered nurse, for selling COVID-19 vaccines last week.
In his press briefing on Monday, July 5, Roque said the government is committed to punishing the people behind the scheme.
"The government will go all out in investigating kung sino po ang nasa likod ng bentahang ito kasi hindi po binibenta ang mga bakuna (who are the people behind this sale because these vaccines should not be sold)," he said.
"Hindi po tayo papayag na nanakawin ang bakuna para magkaroon ng pera ang iba (We cannot let these vaccines get stolen just so some people can make a profit of them)," he added.
The NBI Task Force Against Illegal Drugs has identified the suspects as Manila nurse Alexis de Guzman, Kour Singh, and Calvin Roca. Seized from them was an icebox with 300 doses of Sinovac's CoronaVac vaccine.
The local government of Manila said the 300 doses were not from the supply of Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center (GABMMC) where De Guzman was working.
According to Roque, the government was still investigating the situation. He said it would be easy to trace where the vaccines were originally intended through their batch numbers.
However, he appealed to the public to not take advantage of the pandemic just so they can earn money.
"Para sa pandemya po ito. Mga kababayan, mahiya naman po kayo kung pagkakakitaan niyo pa itong pagdadalamhati ng ating bayan dahil sa pandemya (This is for the pandemic. To the people, have shame if you are making a profit from a nation suffering due to the pandemic)," Roque said.