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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&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;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&#x27;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&#x27;s vaccine last year, along with other officials whose names he withheld.</p><p>&quot;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,&quot; Tulfo said.</p><p>Tulfo said he &quot;risked his life&quot; to have himself inoculated with the Sinopharm vaccine because he applied to be a local distributor. </p><p>&quot;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,&quot; 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&#x27;s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to approve for emergency use Sinopharm&#x27;s vaccine.</p><p>As a Philippine government official, there is perceived a conflict of interest in Tulfo&#x27;s application as a Philippine distributor of the Chinese vaccine.</p><p>Duterte said earlier he prefers to take shots from Sinopharm.</p><p>&quot;He has said na (that) his preference is for Sinopharm,&quot; said Duterte&#x27;s spokesman Harry Roque on Monday. </p><p>Some members of the President&#x27;s security detail took unauthorized Sinopharm jabs last year. </p><p>Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration issued a &quot;compassionate use license&quot; 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><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><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>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.