DOJ probe to include possible fake vaccine entry

MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) would use its assets in monitoring the possible entry of fake coronavirus vaccines from China, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said yesterday.

He instructed the NBI to beef up its monitoring efforts to prevent the bogus vaccines from reaching the public in light of reports that China-made fake drugs were also being sold to other countries.

Guevarra, as early as Dec. 28, had ordered the NBI to investigate the reported importation, sale, offering of sale, distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccines that are not authorized by or registered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“I’m still waiting for the progress report,” he said.

With the new report of fake drugs reaching the market, the NBI has been given an additional task.

“I suppose that in the investigation being conducted by the NBI on the alleged entry and distribution of unregistered COVID-19 vaccines in the Philippines, the possible existence of fake vaccines among those being sold underground is included,” Guevarra added.

It was recently reported that Chinese authorities arrested more than 80 people for manufacturing and selling fake COVID-19 vaccines sold in their country and abroad.

The fake vaccines were reportedly only filled with simple saline solutions.

Last December, Guevarra ordered the NBI to look into reports that members of the Presidential Security Group were inoculated with COVID-19 vaccines allegedly not cleared with the FDA.