PH special envoy to China Ramon Tulfo says he applied to be Sinopharm vaccine distributor

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<figure class='op-interactive'><iframe allow='autoplay; fullscreen' frameborder='0' height='100%' id='ivsplayer01' scrolling='no' src='https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&spid=3001339&vid=1626949' width='100%'></iframe></figure><div class='iwantbar'>Watch more in <a href='//www.iwantv.com.ph/'>iWantv</a> or <a href='//tfc.tv/'>TFC.tv</a></div><p>MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte's special envoy to China Ramon Tulfo said he has applied to be a Philippine distributor of Sinopharm vaccine, the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by a Chinese government-owned pharmaceutical company.</p><p>In his column on <a href='https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/02/20/opinion/columnists/topanalysis/vaccine-arrival-delayed-why/842922/'>Manila Times</a> on Saturday, Tulfo also revealed that he was inoculated with Sinopharm's vaccine last year, along with other officials whose names he withheld.</p><p>"I now confess to the public: I had myself vaccinated — along with some government officials whose names I won’t mention here — with the Sinopharm vaccine last October. Some members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) were also injected with the same vaccine," Tulfo said.</p><p>Tulfo said he "risked his life" to have himself inoculated with the Sinopharm vaccine because he applied to be a local distributor. </p><p>"That’s another confession: I have applied to be one of the distributors of the Sinopharm vaccine in the country, that’s why I risked my life to have myself inoculated ahead of the public," he added.</p><p>He also said Duterte expressed interest in having himself inoculated but was advised against doing so to avoid controversy.</p><p>The country's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to approve for emergency use Sinopharm's vaccine.</p><p>As a Philippine government official, there is perceived a conflict of interest in Tulfo's application as a Philippine distributor of the Chinese vaccine.</p><p>Duterte said earlier he prefers to take shots from Sinopharm.</p><p>"He has said na (that) his preference is for Sinopharm," said Duterte's spokesman Harry Roque on Monday. </p><p>Some members of the President's security detail took unauthorized Sinopharm jabs last year. </p><p>Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration issued a "compassionate use license" for the Presidential Security Group to take 10,000 Sinopharm jabs. </p><ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/11/21/psg-gets-go-signal-to-use-covid-19-shots-months-after-some-members-got-unauthorized-jabs'>PSG gets go signal to use COVID-19 shots months after some members got unauthorized jabs</a></li>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/12/21/fda-half-of-psgs-sinopharm-covid-19-vaccine-to-be-allocated-to-wives-close-contacts'>FDA: Half of PSG’s Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine to be allocated to wives, close contacts</a></li></ul><p><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></p><figure class='op-interactive'><iframe height='315' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/cDjX27R4kjE?enablejsapi=1' width='560'></iframe></figure><div class='iwantbar'>Watch more in <a href='//www.iwantv.com.ph/'>iWantv</a> or <a href='//tfc.tv/'>TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>"I now confess to the public: I had myself vaccinated — along with some government officials whose names I won’t mention here — with the Sinopharm vaccine last October. Some members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) were also injected with the same vaccine," Tulfo said.</p><p>Tulfo said he "risked his life" to have himself inoculated with the Sinopharm vaccine because he applied to be a local distributor. </p><p>"That’s another confession: I have applied to be one of the distributors of the Sinopharm vaccine in the country, that’s why I risked my life to have myself inoculated ahead of the public," he added.</p><p>He also said Duterte expressed interest in having himself inoculated but was advised against doing so to avoid controversy.</p><p>The country's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to approve for emergency use Sinopharm's vaccine.</p><p>As a Philippine government official, there is perceived a conflict of interest in Tulfo's application as a Philippine distributor of the Chinese vaccine.</p><p>Duterte said earlier he prefers to take shots from Sinopharm.</p><p>"He has said na (that) his preference is for Sinopharm," said Duterte's spokesman Harry Roque on Monday. </p><p>Some members of the President's security detail took unauthorized Sinopharm jabs last year. </p><p>Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration issued a "compassionate use license" for the Presidential Security Group to take 10,000 Sinopharm jabs. </p><ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/11/21/psg-gets-go-signal-to-use-covid-19-shots-months-after-some-members-got-unauthorized-jabs'>PSG gets go signal to use COVID-19 shots months after some members got unauthorized jabs</a></li>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/12/21/fda-half-of-psgs-sinopharm-covid-19-vaccine-to-be-allocated-to-wives-close-contacts'>FDA: Half of PSG’s Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine to be allocated to wives, close contacts</a></li></ul><p><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></p><figure class='op-interactive'><iframe height='315' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/cDjX27R4kjE?enablejsapi=1' width='560'></iframe></figure><div class='iwantbar'>Watch more in <a href='//www.iwantv.com.ph/'>iWantv</a> or <a href='//tfc.tv/'>TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte's special envoy to China Ramon Tulfo said he has applied to be a Philippine distributor of Sinopharm vaccine, the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by a Chinese government-owned pharmaceutical company.</p><p>In his column on <a href='https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/02/20/opinion/columnists/topanalysis/vaccine-arrival-delayed-why/842922/'>Manila Times</a> on Saturday, Tulfo also revealed that he was inoculated with Sinopharm's vaccine last year, along with other officials whose names he withheld.</p>

<figure class='op-interactive'><iframe allow='autoplay; fullscreen' frameborder='0' height='100%' id='ivsplayer01' scrolling='no' src='https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&spid=3001339&vid=1626949' width='100%'></iframe></figure><div class='iwantbar'>Watch more in <a href='//www.iwantv.com.ph/'>iWantv</a> or <a href='//tfc.tv/'>TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>President Rodrigo Duterte's special envoy to China Ramon Tulfo said he has applied to be a Philippine distributor of Sinopharm vaccine, the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by a Chinese government-owned pharmaceutical company.<br /> </p>

President Rodrigo Duterte's special envoy to China Ramon Tulfo said he has applied to be a Philippine distributor of Sinopharm vaccine, the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by a Chinese government-owned pharmaceutical company.

PH special envoy to China Ramon Tulfo says he applied to be Sinopharm vaccine distributor | ABS-CBN News

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PH special envoy to China Ramon Tulfo says he applied to be Sinopharm vaccine distributor

PH special envoy to China Ramon Tulfo says he applied to be Sinopharm vaccine distributor