Ramon T. Tulfo
WHILE other countries already have their Covid-19 vaccine, we are still debating which vaccine is best for us.
In my private talk with the President, which was attended by former longtime aide Sen. Lawrence Christopher “Bong” Go, PRRD expressed impatience over the delay in the arrival of the vaccines.
Digong has a preference for the Sinopharm vaccine, which, he said, seems to be the best choice among all the Covid-19 vaccines.
Digong said he believes that the Sinopharm vaccine is the best among the brands in the market.
There have been excellent write-ups about the Sinopharm vaccine’s efficacy, the President said.
Fortune magazine’s website had a glowing article on the Sinopharm vaccine on February 5.
KUWTT: Vaccine shipments delayed | Feb 19, 2021
The President said he would have himself, his family and even Go — if the senator so desires — injected with the Sinopharm vaccine in public.
This would allay fears among the people that the vaccine might have adverse side effects.
Digong said that if necessary, he would write a letter to the Chinese pharmaceutical company, Sinopharm, to ask for samples of its vaccine.
During my private meeting with the President in the presence of Senator Go, I handed him my phone and had him talk to the Sinopharm representative in the country.
Digong repeated his request for samples of the vaccine for him and his family.
After the meeting, Palace protocol officer Roberto Borje and Malacañang’s appointments secretary Lisette Marquez met with me in another room.
Borje and Marques agreed to consult vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) chief Eric Domingo on the proper way to obtain the vaccine.
Again, I had Borje talk with the Sinopharm representative, John Boja.
Borje expressed concern that the President might get a fake Sinopharm vaccine, and also over what the dilawan (the opposition) might say.
The Sinopharm representative suggested that the vaccine could be coursed through the Philippine embassy in Beijing or the Chinese embassy in Manila.
Boja, the Sinopharm representative, tried to get in touch with Galvez the following day, but the vaccine czar was unavailable.
“Mon, the call with Galvez and FDA yesterday did not push through. I don’t know why. I messaged Galvez whatever arrangement they decided to let me know so we can ship Sinopharm vaccine. Joseph (surname withheld) has already made arrangements and is just waiting for shipping instructions,” Boja said in a text message.
After receiving Boja’s text, I messaged Marques.
“Lisette, what’s keeping Galvez from talking with John Boja? The President asked John for the Sinopharm vaccine. He even told John over the phone that if there was a need, he would sign a letter for Sinopharm to send the vaccine to him and his family,” I said in my text message to Marques.
The importance of acquiring the vaccine for the masses cannot be overemphasized.
People are dying left and right of the coronavirus.
* * *
I now confess to the public: I had myself vaccinated — along with some government officials whose names I won’t mention here — with the Sinopharm vaccine last October.
Some members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) were also injected with the same vaccine.
Don’t ask me where I got the vaccine because I will never tell you.
Why did I have myself inoculated with the Sinopharm vaccine?
That’s another confession: I have applied to be one of the distributors of the Sinopharm vaccine in the country, that’s why I risked my life to have myself inoculated ahead of the public.
I had left instructions with my family that if I died of the vaccine’s side effects, they would announce it to the public.
Needless to say, my family hasn’t been vaccinated yet.
Three weeks after I got the vaccine, I told the President about its lack of troublesome side effects during my visit to him in December last year.
Turning to Go, the President said, “Bong, magpa-injection na rin kaya ako (Bong, why don’t I have myself injected as well)?
Apparently the President’s close aides dissuaded him from doing it, as it would have created repercussions.
It turned out they were right, what with all the ruckus created in the media after it was reported that the PSG soldiers had gotten the vaccine.
His advisers apparently told Digong that the Sinopharm vaccine had not been approved by the FDA and he would be violating protocol if he had himself vaccinated with it.
Source Manila Times 20-02-2021