Pres. Rodrigo Duterte ‘delivers’ on December vax promise—but only for those in his ‘inner political circle’

July 31, 2020 would be the day President Rodrigo Duterte promised Filipinos a COVID-19 vaccine come December 2020–and he would deliver, just not to the Filipino people as he promised.

In a televised IATF meeting that happened last December 26, Duterte would come out in the open and say there have been “a lot of people” who have been inoculated with Sinopharm’s COVID-19 vaccine.

He would even throw out the suggestion that he himself has gotten vaccinated by asking Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Director General Eric Domingo if it was okay to “get a Pfizer shot” if he has already been inoculated with Sinovac.

While Domingo could only give a weak chuckle as a reply, netizens could not help but remember Duterte’s promise back in July.

So totoo ngang may vaccine na this December. Hindi nga lang para sa ating mere mortals.

— Barnaby Lo (@barnabychuck) December 28, 2020

Before: Duterte said vaccine in December. Now: When vaccine are available, we are second fiddle country. # NoProgramAllTalksOnly..

— Ernesto (@eprosario) December 21, 2020

https://twitter.com/chellemacx21/status/1343542581188243458

https://twitter.com/letlenilead2022/status/1343416126496116736

Anger dominated netizen’s reactions at Duterte’s sudden pronouncement that select cabinet officials, high-ranking military officers, and his Presidential Security Group have been inoculated by Sinopharm.

Malacañang would continue to deny claims that Duterte himself has been vaccinated, with Interior Sec. Eduardo Año, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III each saying they have no knowledge of the President being given Sinovac shots.

Año, however, would reveal in a radio interview that he knows of certain cabinet members and “presidential security guards” who have indeed been given the Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccine.

Philippine Army chief Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, meanwhile, would “confirm” reports of select military officials getting the COVID-19 vaccine, saying it came from “the AFP chain of command”.

Duterte is posted at the top of said chain of command as the AFP’s commander-in-chief.

All of these come at the heels of both AFP spokesperson and Marine Maj. Gen. Edgardo Arevalo and FDA Usec. Domingo both saying that no such thing should have happened.

Arevalo would go on record to say the AFP is “getting details” on the AFP leadership-sanctioned vaccination drive for select officers and government officials.

Domingo said the FDA has done three raids in Makati and Binondo as soon as reports of unauthorized vaccinations went out, but to no avail.

He also said the FDA has yet to approve any COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, adding that only Pfizer has applied for emergency use authority in the country.

Roque, meanwhile, said the FDA’s approval cannot be used as a basis for the AFP leadership-led vaccination drive being illegal, as the FDA’s mandate only covered distribution and sales of the COVID-19 vaccines.

AFP confirms Presidential Security Group personnel vaccinated with non-FDA approved Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine most likely smuggled in from China.

— Raffy Tima (@raffytima) December 28, 2020

The AFP, however, said that it was likely that the Sinovac shots used during their vaccination drive were “smuggled in” from China.