‘Like Castro, we expect from the administration of President Marcos Jr. an immediate gesture of concern by initiating a formal investigation in the Senate and the House of Representatives…’
THE Filipino people and the rest of the world should thank Reuters for its comprehensive and well-researched report on the United States Department of Defense’s erstwhile secret psyops initiative to undermine China’s Sinovac vaccine during the COVID-19 pandemic, targeting its reputation and use in the Philippines. This is no longer a media allegation, as the Pentagon has confirmed that it did happen during the term of President Donald Trump and was continued during the early days of President Joseph Biden.
The investigative report on the Pentagon’s covert operation to counter China’s increasing influence in the Philippines during the Duterte administration was circulated throughout the world. It unveiled the use by the American military of fake internet accounts that impersonated Filipinos. Their social media posts slammed the quality of face masks, test kits, and the Sinovac vaccine which was the first COVID-19 vaccine available in the Philippines.
Reuters validated at least 325 accounts on X (formerly Twitter) that fit descriptions given by former US military officials familiar with the operation in the Philippines. The wire agency said Pentagon’s anti-vaccine effort began in the spring of 2020 and spread beyond Southeast Asia before being abandoned in mid-2021. Published posts on Facebook and other social media platforms were also documented.
A senior US Defense Department official confirmed the US military engaged in secret propaganda to discredit China’s vaccine in the developing world. A Pentagon spokesperson said the US military “uses a variety of platforms, including social media, to counter those malign influence attacks aimed at the US, allies and partners,” adding China had started a disinformation campaign to falsely blame the US for the spread of COVID-19.
This news should prompt top Philippine government officials to immediately reply, and what do you hear two days after the publication of the Reuters report?
ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro reacted, strongly condemning the US government, particularly the Pentagon, for running a secret anti-vaccination campaign. Castro said it is “deeply concerning” as it would “cast doubt on the safety and efficacy of Chinese vaccines” which were the primary vaccines used by the Philippines to combat COVID-19.
While officials of the Department of Health have called for a formal investigation on this issue, the man primarily responsible for vaccines during the Duterte administration, Carlito Galvez Jr., chose to dismiss the report.
“I believe it is not true,” Galvez was quoted by ABS-CBN as saying. Galvez was the National Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar during the pandemic.
Galvez reiterated that the best vaccine during the pandemic is the vaccine that is immediately available, and so we had Sinovac.
What Secretary Galvez said is plain red herring because that is not the issue on the table. The issue is the clandestine use of social media by the US military to discredit the Chinese vaccine, and in so doing promote vaccine hesitancy in the Philippines, probably resulting in thousands of deaths.
Over in Washington DC., the Philippine embassy there was also silent on the Reuters disclosure, not even issuing a reply when the wire agency requested them to comment.
Like Castro, we expect from the administration of President Marcos Jr. an immediate gesture of concern by initiating a formal investigation in the Senate and the House of Representatives to enable the public to dig out the truth about this newest media expose.
