Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa said the public should thank members of the Presidential Security Group who were given COVID-19 vaccine shots, even without the approval of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Dela Rosa said the PSG members risked their lives as "guinea pigs" by being injected with the drug to protect President Rodrigo Duterte from COVID-19.

"Nagpapasalamat nga tayo sa kanila dahil ginawa nilang guinea pig ang sarili nila," the senator said in an interview on Teleradyo. "Walang nasa isip nila kung paano maprotektahan ang Pangulo."

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The inoculation of selected PSG members has become controversial, because the shots used were not FDA approved. The agency prohibits the importation, distribution and use of unregistered drugs.

But Dela Rosa said the PSG troops did not violate any law.

"Personal na desisyon mo na iyan kung ano'ng gawin mo sa buhay mo, lalo't wala pa tayong gamot sa COVID-19 at iyong bakuna ay hindi pa institutionalized. Wala namang batas na bawal kayong magpabakuna," he said.

When asked directly if he would be willing to be injected with a vaccine sans FDA approval, he said mostly likely.

"Halimbawa, approved na sa China, hindi pa approved sa FDA natin, kung approved na sa China, siyempre may sariling FDA ang China ang FDA natin more on formality na lang iyan . . . Kung ito'y ginagamit na sa lugar nila, bahala na kayo d'yan, desisyon ko na kung ibakuna ko o hindi," Dela Rosa said.

But the senator acknowledged he would prefer to use a drug with higher efficacy rate.

"Maganda sana iyong maganda ang brand na dito sa atin . . . Bahala na kung magkautang utang tayo. Iyong may highest efficacy na vaccine du'n ako, kung may available na," he said.

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