The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will continue its probe on the use of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine despite President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s stern statement.
NBI Deputy Director and Spokesperson Ferdinand Lavin confirmed that the investigation will not be called off in spite of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) cancelling its own inquiry on the matter. This will only be stopped upon the directive of Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo Guevarra.
According to DOJ Secretary Menardo Guevarra, “the focus of the NBI investigation is the alleged proliferation of unregistered anti-COVID 19 vaccines in the so-called black market and their unauthorized administration. The agency can obtain information from various sources.”
Once an order has been received, the NBI will immediately coordinate with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to obtain information on the vaccines they are going to study. The bureau will also coordinate with the Presidential Security Group (PSG), Bureau of Customs (BOC), and even Teresita Ang-See.
There is still no exact date on the NBI’s target date in finishing the investigation. However, the DOJ has given the bureau 10 days starting Monday to submit an initial report. – Report from Kenneth Paciente
