UPDATE 1-Philippine president blocks Senate attempt to probe guards' use of vaccine

* Duterte orders chief of guards to ignore legislative
summons
* Some senators want to probe guards' use of unapproved
vaccine
* Food and Drug Administration yet to approve a COVID-19
shot

(Recasts, adds president's comments)
MANILA, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo
Duterte directed the head of his military detail on Monday to
ignore a legislative summons, foiling the Senate's attempt to
probe his guards for inoculating themselves with an unauthorised
COVID-19 vaccine.
The Senate plans to conduct an inquiry into the government's
vaccination plan next week and some senators want the head of
the Presidential Security Group (PSG) to appear and explain the
unit's actions, which they said were illegal.
"Do not obey the summons," Duterte told PSG chief Brigadier
General Jesus Durante in a late-night televised address. "I am
ordering you to stay put in the barracks."
Durante last week said a handful of unit members used the
vaccine "in good faith" because they could not afford to wait
for regulatory approval, adding the president was only informed
afterwards. He did not name the vaccine used or say how it was
obtained.
Duterte, who has commended his security detail for their
"loyalty and courage" in inoculating themselves, said they did
it for "self-preservation".
"I am prepared to defend my soldiers. I will not allow them,
for all of their good intention, to be brutalised in the
hearing," Duterte said.
His spokesman, Harry Roque said, the military detail broke
no laws.
"The president is saluting the PSG for what they did. They
risked their lives to protect our president," Roque told a media
briefing.
Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana last week called the
PSG's move "justified" even as he said the vaccines they gave
themselves as far back as September, without his knowledge, had
been smuggled into the Philippines. The Philippines Food and Drug Administration has not
approved a COVID-19 vaccine - making the importation,
distribution and sale of a COVID-19 vaccine at illegal - and
warned of potential dangers from using vaccines it has not
cleared.
It has said it was working with the Bureau of Customs to
determine how the vaccines were brought into the country.