Military postpones probe on PSG inoculation with COVID-19 vaccines

January 5, 2021

The military postponed Tuesday's investigation on the inoculation of COVID-19 vaccines to members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG)

"AFP Chief General Gilbert Gapay has called off the scheduled fact-finding investigation today on the vaccination of some PSG personnel," Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, Armed Forces of the Philippines  spokesman, said.

"This comes in the light of the recent pronouncement of the Commander-in-Chief and President Rodrigo Duterte," he added.

In a public briefing, on Tuesday, Arevalo said Gapay decided to call off the fact finding after Duterte advised members of the PSG not to attend the investigation.

"The statement of our president is clear. He advised the members of PSG not to attend the investigation and they will invoke if ever summoned and they will appear...  to remain silent," he said.

"Given all these pronouncement from the President and Commander in Chief of all Armed Forces, the chief of staff of the AFP Gen. Gilbert Gapay has issued the instruction to the inspector general of the AFP very early this morning," he added.

The investigation was ordered by Gapay after Duterte revealed members of the PSG were vaccinated against Covid - 19. The Food and Drug Administration has not approved any vaccine against COVID-19.

Arevalo said the investigation aims to determine the circumstances on the acquisition and inoculation of the COVID-19 vaccines to the soldiers under the PSG for the purpose of policy improvement.

"The fact finding is for the purposes of crafting our rules and regulations and our policies on the acquisition and administration of these vaccines," he said.

"Our regulations do  not cover this because of COVID-19 so as we review our policies, our techniques, tactics and procedures, our SOPs (standard operating procedures) as we review that we need to see what are the changes that we need to do in our policy so that our policies will be responsive," he added. Robina Asido/DMS