Palace vows 'all-out' investigation into sale of COVID-19 jabs
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Monday promised an "all-out" investigation on the sale of COVID-19 vaccines, saying nobody should profit from the sufferings caused by the pandemic.
Last week, a nurse at the Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center in Manila and two other persons were arrested for allegedly selling 300 doses of Sinovac COVID-19 jabs. Authorities have vowed to intensify their crackdown against the sale of vaccines, noting that the shots are supposed to be distributed for free.
"Government will go all out in investigating who is behind this sale. Vaccines are not supposed to be sold and we won't allow vaccines to be stolen just because some people want to profit from them," presidential spokesman Harry Roque said at a press briefing.
Roque said the vaccines have batch numbers that would allow authorities to determine where they were intended to be distributed.
"Para sa pandemya po ito. Mga kababayan, mahiya naman kayo kung pagkakakitaan pa ninyo itong pagdadalamhati ng ating bayan dahil nga po sa pandemya. Mahiya po kayo (This is for the pandemic. To our countrymen, be ashamed if you intend to profit from the sufferings of our nation. Be ashamed)," he added.
Police officials have warned those who buy COVID-19 vaccines that they would also face criminal charges. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center chief Ted Martin have said the COVID-19 jabs being sold illegally did not come from the city health department’s stockpile.
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