With rising reports of illegal innoculations, vaxx scams
NANCY TO PNP: GO AFTER FAKE VACCINES; FOCUS ON REAL CRIME THREATS

Sen. Nancy Binay today urged the Philippine National Police (PNP) to go after syndicates and criminal groups manufacturing and selling fake vaccines instead of focusing on "perceived threats".

Binay appealed to the PNP to be mindful of its oversight in gathering relevant information regarding illegal innoculations, clandestine vaccination clinics, manufacturing and selling of fake Covid-19 vaccines.

"Instead of spending time questioning innocent individuals, pursuing false leads and chasing phantoms, bakit di na lang habulin yung mga sindikatong nagkakalat ng pekeng mga bakuna. With criminal groups taking advantage of the situation, our PNP should focus on real threats to public health, and not perceived threats," the senator pointed out.

Binay added that those who peddle counterfeit products present more of a threat to public security and public health safety than teacher-volunteers being questioned for helping schoolchildren in remote barangays in Mindanao.

"Paulit-ulit na nating sinasabi na sa ngayon, Covid-19 ang kalaban. Ang dapat na inaaksyunan natin ay ang paglipana ng mga pekeng bakuna at ng mga underground vaccine services. Tugisin na lang sana ang mga talagang lumalabag ng batas kaysa iyong mga volunteer na nagsasakripisyo para maturuan ang mga kabataan nating walang access sa edukasyon," the senator said.

On Monday, Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto posted on Twitter a screenshot of a seller offering 50 vials of fake Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines for P60,000.

"Merong failure of intelligence dito kasi noong October pa lumabas ang mga reports ng illegal vaccines na kumakalat sa merkado, pati na yung clandestine innoculation ng mahigit 100,000 Chinese POGO workers, pero patuloy pa rin yung pagbebenta ng mga pekeng bakuna at operation ng underground clinics.

"It should be incumbent upon law enforcement agencies like the PNP, NBI, or even the Bureau of Customs, to put a high premium on vaccine safety and continue to go after 'sham' clinics, and syndicates making counterfeit products. Government must make sure that fake and illegal vaccines do not proliferate in the local market," Binay noted.