Philippine president's guards used 'smuggled' COVID-19 vaccines - minister

MANILA, Dec 30 (Reuters) - The Philippine defence minister
said on Wednesday that unapproved COVID-19 vaccines given to
President Rodrigo Duterte's military security detail had been
smuggled into the country, but called the move "justified".
News of the special troop unit being inoculated as early as
September has caused a stir among activists, with the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) yet to approve any COVID-19 vaccines
and no set timeline for when health workers would receive one.
Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said members of the
Presidential Security Group (PSG) obtained the vaccine without
government authorisation and had administered them without his
knowledge.
"Yes smuggled, because they were not authorised, only the
government can authorise," he told reporters when asked if the
vaccine was smuggled into the country.
"They need to explain because they violated FDA rules."
He added: "It is justified ... it will protect them so they
will not be infected and at the same time they can protect the
president."
On Tuesday, PSG head Brigadier General Jesus Durante told
news channel ANC that a handful of unit members had given
themselves a coronavirus vaccine "in good faith" and the
president was only informed afterwards.
Durante said the unit could not afford to wait for approval.
He did not say how the vaccine was obtained, or which one was
used.
The FDA and health ministry both warned on Monday against
use of unapproved vaccines and said importing, distributing or
selling them was illegal.
Akbayan Partylist, a leftwing group of lawmakers, cried foul
on Wednesday over what it called "VIP treatment" when local
governments were struggling to get budgets to fight the
coronavirus.
Asked how the PSG obtained the vaccine and which was used,
the health minister, Francisco Duque, said the FDA was
investigating. FDA chief Rolando Enrique Domingo said his
enforcement team had yet to complete its report.