President Rodrigo Duterte’s close-in security took “courageous step” to receive vaccines to protect him from the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), Presidential Security Group (PSG) Chief Col. Jesus Durante III said Monday.

“With the current pandemic, PSG needs to ensure that they are not themselves threat to the President’s health and safety. As such the PSG administered Covid-19 vaccine to its personnel performing close-in security operations to the President,” Durante said in a statement.

Duterte, in a speech last Saturday, said that some Filipinos, including members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), received the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm’s Covid-19 vaccine.

However, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana clarified that only the PSG, a unit of the AFP mandated to protect the President, were administered with the Sinopharm vaccine.

Durante said Duterte’s close-in security decided to take the risk of getting inoculated not for personal benefit, but as a way to protect the President.

“PSG’s decision to take the risk is a courageous step that greatly supports its mandate. We did it not for personal agenda but on a greater pursuit that is even way beyond our mission of protecting our President,” he added.

Durante said national security imposes the protection of the President as commander in-chief from all forms of threat, including Covid-19, to preserve the stability of the nation.

He also emphasized that it is the PSG’s primordial task to ensure a healthy President serving the Filipinos every day.

“We are in a state of war, a war against Covid-19. War compels us to survive as what we are now doing in this pandemic. As such, PSG exploits all means in order to deliver its mandate as what is highly expected of them by the Filipino people,” he said.

Despite having received the Sinopharm vaccine, Durante said the PSG could not speak in behalf of its effectiveness.

“We can’t speak in behalf of the vaccine and its effectiveness. Covid-19 is a first in history, and the whole world is hopeful in developing and obtaining the perfect vaccine,” he said.

In an earlier press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque defended AFP after some military personnel received the Sinopharm vaccine despite having not been approved yet by local regulators.

He said getting inoculated with a vaccine without approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Philippines is not a violation of Republic Act 9711 or the FDA Act of 2009.

“Hindi po pinagbabawal ng batas natin ang magpaturok ng hindi rehistrado. Ang bawal po yung distribution at yung pagbebenta. So ito naman po ay tinurok sa mga sundalo na pumayag (The law does not prohibit individuals from getting inoculated with vaccines that are not registered. What’s prohibited is the distribution and sale. So, this was only given to soldiers who agreed),” he said.

Republic Act 9711 states that the manufacture, importation, exportation, sale, offering for sale, distribution, transfer, non-consumer use, promotion, advertising or sponsorship of health products without proper authorization is prohibited. (PNA)