Suspect admits facilitating, but not selling jab slot

MANILA, Philippines — The suspect in the alleged vaccine-for-sale scheme has told police investigators that he only facilitated a deal for a COVID-19 jab slot and was not into selling it.

Philippine National Police chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group is checking the veracity of this claim by suspect Cyle Bonifacio.

Bonifacio, who surrendered to Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Benhur Abalos and Mandaluyong Mayor Carmelita Abalos last Wednesday after investigators were able to track him through social media, claimed that he earned money only from facilitating a jab slot.

However, Eleazar said Bonifacio is the same person they have identified in the supposed sale of COVID-19 vaccine slots in Mandaluyong and San Juan cities. The PNP was about to issue a subpoena against him but was overtaken by his surrender.

Bonifacio declined to answer when reporters pressed him about the supposed scheme where vaccine slots are reportedly being offered for P8,000 to P12,000 depending on the brand. He earlier denied having connections with local government units.

After an interview with CIDG investigators, he was sent home with Eleazar explaining that they could not as yet hold him in custody as no charges have been filed against him.

“We have already information on the case that will be filed,” Eleazar said without elaborating, but that investigators are already looking into whether other people are involved.

He urged people not to patronize offers of getting vaccinated ahead of others in exchange for money as they could also be held liable.

“We do not consent to attempts to put our vaccination program in chaos,” the PNP chief said in Filipino.

Mandaluyong City police chief Col. Gauvin Mel Unos said yesterday that they looking into other persons of interest who may be involved in the scam.

He explained that if the scheme is true, other people must be involved “because it’s not possible to transfer transactions like this without the help of other people, especially those who are holding the master list of people who can be vaccinated and those handling vaccine slots.”

“So, we’re looking into other persons of interest involved with the alleged selling of vaccines,” Unos said in an interview aired over Teleradyo.

He noted that based on background checks by the police, probers detected no direct connection between the suspect and those involved in the vaccine rollout.

Unos said several local government staff were also interviewed and investigators found no connection with the suspects.

“They have no connection, although there are other personalities like a family friend. We also noticed former classmates, something like that. We’re also looking at (the suspects’) direct participation in the rollout,” he added.

The alleged vaccine for sale scheme surfaced over the weekend when concerned citizens posted about the supposed sale of COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination slots in Mandaluyong and San Juan cities, prompting an investigation from law enforcement agencies.

Police have not yet disclosed whether Bonifacio was the person in the shots of social media messages that circulated online over the weekend, but said they would be releasing “concrete details” once charges have been filed.

While the local government of San Juan said it was confident none of its employees were involved in such schemes, the police said they were also looking at the relation of the incident involving Bonifacio and his supposed cohorts in the alleged vaccine for sale in the city.

Bonifacio, now under investigation by the CIDG, may face charges for violating the Bayanihan Law and the Anti-Cybercrime Act, police added. – Neil Jayson Servallos