POLICE investigators are looking at the local politics angle in the reported sale of vaccines or vaccination slots in San Juan and Mandaluyong cities, PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said yesterday.
Eleazar said the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group are looking into all angles, including it is an “online scam.”
“We cannot also discount the possibility that this is politically-motivated, probably employed to discredit the reputation of the LGU (local government unit) involved,” added Eleazar.
Citing results of initial investigations, Eleazar said the seller transacted with potential buyers directly through private message, instead of making his online posts public.
“Malamang para umiwas na mapansin ng ating law enforcement agencies kung gawing public ang post niya. (That’s likely to avoid catching the attention of our law enforcement agencies, if he makes public his posts),” he said.
Earlier, a netizen posted on Twitter a screenshot of a supposed conversation between two persons about a transaction for COVID-19 jabs in exchange for cash, in Mandaluyong and San Juan. The unnamed seller supposedly claimed to have contacts in the two LGUs for the reservation of COVID-19 vaccine slots.
The vaccines and vaccines slots are reportedly being sold in San Juan and Mandaluyong cities from P8,000 to P12,000, depending on the vaccine brand.
A similar scheme was reported in Parañaque City whose mayor, Edwin Olivarez, has said he received reports that some “unscrupulous individuals” were selling slots or vaccine slots.
Eleazar, on the possibility that it is just an online scam, said the two persons who have been contacted by the seller have legitimate online businesses, thus they were targeted by the “scammers.”
“Kung titignan natin iyong mga unang inalok ng bakuna at slots sa ating mga LGU, pareho silang may legitimate online businesses… Kaya posible na sila lang ang tinarget ng mga scammers. (If we are going to look at those who were initially offered vaccines and slots in the LGUs, both have legitimate online businesses… So it’s possible they were the only ones targeted by the scammers),” said Eleazar.
Eleazar said the PNP investigation will not stop until the people involved are held accountable.
He urged the public to report to the PNP if they were contacted to buy vaccines or vaccine slots.
“Since the illegal sale of vaccine and vaccination slots is being perpetrated via private communication, we encourage netizens who are being targeted by both illegal sellers and scammers to help us in this case,” Eleazar said.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque asked LGUs to pass ordinances that would penalize those who would sell their vaccination slots.
He also said among possible charges against the sellers are swindling and violation of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) law.
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Monday signed an ordinance banning the sale of COVID-19 vaccines in the city. He said the ordinance is meant to protect the public from organizations, institutions or individuals attempting to profit from the pandemic.
The government is only vaccinating the healthcare workers, who belong to the vaccine priority group A1, elders (A2) and persons with comorbidity (A3). It is planning to start the vaccination of government and economic frontliners (A4) and the indigent sector (A5) by June. — With Jocelyn Montemayor
