In Northern Samar
TACLOBAN CITY- The provincial board in Northern Samar is set to conduct an investigation over allegation that several vaccines against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were stolen from the Northern Samar Provincial Hospital.
The committee hearing, scheduled this Wednesday (June 7) is in response to a post made by a media practitioner that a ‘powerful personality’ in the province was behind on this alleged act.
“In consultation with fellow members of the committee on laws, and because of the importance of the matter, it was recommended to the floor for the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to constitute a committee of the whole, to investigate, in aid of legislation, the incident that allegedly happened in the facility,” board member Pascasio Joshua Maria Vicario III, who chairs the committee, said.
It was learned that during their June 30 regular session, board member Mary Ann Abalon, who is a doctor by profession, delivered a privilege speech urging her fellow board members to investigate the matter that was posted by media practitioner Peregrino Arillo in his Facebook account last June 23.
Arillo, in his post, alleged that the vaccines that were inside a blue colored container were taken illegally from the storage facility of the province by a lady who was wearing a white gown last June 10.
The lady immediately went to the house of the unnamed powerful personality in the province.
At least 15 vials of Sinovac vaccines were reportedly taken and were administered to members of the households and security personnel of said personality.
Arillo added in his post that is still not clear if said personality was among those who were inoculated with the vaccine.
He added that the incident happened while Northern Samar Provincial Hospital Chief Dr. Ninfa Caparoso-Kam was in the United States.
The province has been experiencing surge of COVID-19 reason why Governor Edwin Ongchuan has earlier sought for the Department of Health (DOH) to provide additional vaccines for the province.
Based on the records of the DOH, Northern Samar as of July 2 has received 60,514 doses of vaccines.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
