Some lawmakers criticized the bureau of animal industry for importing hundreds of thousands of vaccines against the African swine fever for a clinical trial.
Eimor Santos has more.
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Eimor Santos has more.
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NewsTranscript
00:00 According to the Bureau of Animal Industry or BAI, more than 60 barangays in the country still have active cases of African Swine Fever or ASF, a highly contagious and deadly viral disease infecting pigs.
00:14 The Philippines is conducting a clinical trial for Avac, an anti-ASF vaccine made in Vietnam.
00:21 But in a hearing of the Senate Committee on Agriculture,
00:28 Chairperson Cynthia Villar bared alleged anomalies.
00:31 She questioned the importation of 300,000 doses of Avac, saying it's too much for a clinical trial.
00:39 The Food and Drug Administration says that amount came from BAI.
00:43 "There are many who are clamoring for a solution to ASF."
00:48 "It's okay if we can give a solution to ASF, but not to divide us."
00:56 "That's why we are the most stupid of all. In the 1950s, we were the best in agriculture. Now, we are the ones who are left behind in agriculture."
01:08 BAI says it acted fast because many countries were after Avac, but Villar cites the case of Thailand, which rejected Avac due to insufficient information on its efficacy and safety.
01:20 The senator also hit BAI's earlier pronouncement that more doses are coming.
01:25 "If it is not authorized by FDA, it will be considered smuggled."
01:30 Villar also sees conflict of interest in the supposed involvement of the supplier.
01:35 KPP powers Commodities Incorporated in the conduct of the clinical trial.
01:40 "Even if the field trial is unsuccessful, they will say it's successful so they can do business."
01:46 "You robbed BAI. You made BAI rob."
01:50 "We did not conduct the clinical trials. There are independent farms. We just supplied vaccines to the farm."
01:58 "Our worry is why 300,000 doses were given."
02:01 Meanwhile, the Philippine Swine Foundation says the vaccines are being sold.
02:06 And farm owners are worried after being asked to sign a waiver that states the supplier won't be responsible for any negative effects to the pigs.
02:15 "Try to buy if you can buy from us."
02:18 "You gave a big company, you didn't sell it, you bought it."
02:22 "It's a cost reimbursement."
02:25 "Ma'am, we can't do a trial testing of 300,000 doses that will be answered by a company. It's not charity."
02:38 "It would appear that the clinical trials are being done as a disguise to have a commercial inoculation of swine-affected pigs."
02:53 Agricultural group SINAG says a farm in Pangasinan lost all 3,000 of its pigs in the ongoing phase 2 of the clinical trial.
03:02 KPP denies this while BAI says it will investigate.
03:07 Amor Santos, CNN, Philippines.