MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night became the first elected government official to publicly complete vaccination with the Sinopharm vaccine, a jab authorized in the Philippines only in very specific circumstances. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said in March that there was no record of the smuggled vaccines passing through customs. Rep. Ronaldo Zamora (San Juan) on Monday disclosed that he had also received what he called "bootleg" Sinopharm vaccines last December. In February, columnist Mon Tulfo told ONE News' "The Chiefs" that he received smuggled vaccines too, adding he got them from a friend who smuggled the Sinopharm doses into the country. He said then that others who were inoculated with the smuggled vaccines were "Cabinet-level" officials and a senator whose names he withheld.

Source: Philippine Star July 13, 2021 01:52 UTC