US-based pharmaceutical firm Novavax, Inc. has applied for emergency use authorization (EUA) for its two-dose coronavirus vaccine in the Philippines, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  

Novavax has “applied for an EUA but their requirements are not yet complete,” FDA Director General Rolando Enrique D. Domingo told BusinessWorld in a Viber message on Friday.  

The country’s drug regulator has already approved eight vaccine brands for emergency use. 

Philippine vaccine czar Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. earlier said that the country had signed a supply deal with Novavax for about 30 million doses of its protein-based vaccine, also known as Covovax. 

In a study that involved 29,960 participants across 119 sites in the US and Mexico, Covovax demonstrated 100% protection against moderate and severe cases, Novavax said in a press release dated June 14. It added that the vaccine was 91% effective in high-risk populations and was 93% effective against “predominantly circulating Variants of Concern and Variants of Interest,” such as Alpha, Beta, and Gamma.   

The Serum Institute of India, the largest vaccine manufacturer in the world, produces the Novavax vaccines.  

The Indian biotechnology firm started the production of the first batch of Covovax vaccines in June. — Kyle Aristophere Atienza 

THE OCTA Research group late on Thursday said it welcomed a possible probe by the House of Representatives into their projections and affiliations as cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Delta variant continue to surge.  

“OCTA Research welcomes public inquiries and fora that serve as opportunities for us to engage the public and disseminate our research work as well as to elaborate on the importance of scientific and evidence-based policymaking,” the group said in a formal statement.   

Filed on Tuesday by five lawmakers, House Resolution 2075 asks the House Committee on Good Government to probe the “qualifications, research methodologies, partnerships, and composition” of the OCTA Research group.  

“There is a public health and public policy need to ensure the safety and security of the population during this pandemic, and that information being distributed is correct and are not irresponsibly and erroneously published,” said the resolution.  

This comes after Edsel T. Salvaña, director of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the National Institutes of Health-University of the Philippines Manila refuted OCTA’s projections of a surge in the National Capital Region, saying that it was based on “incomplete” and “erroneous” data.  

The resolution also seeks to investigate the researchers’ ties with the state-funded University of the Philippines. However, the think tank said that it is an “independent and interdisciplinary” organization. 

“The group is composed of alumni and professionals from the University of the Philippines and the University of Santo Tomas. The findings and recommendations of our research do not reflect the official position of the institutions aforementioned,” the group said in its statement.  

OCTA also said that it is “one with government, the private sector, and the entire nation” in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.   

However, OCTA research fellow Fredegusto Guido P. David questioned in a DZMM Teleradyo interview on Friday whether the House is the “proper venue” for the inquiry into the group since “they might not be the expert” on the matter. 

Meanwhile, Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez opposed the filing of the House Resolution, noting that the group helped him and city officials to act promptly over an increase of cases along with local infections of the COVID-19 Delta variant in the city.  

“This group should be supported, encouraged and requested to continue with their good work and the big help it is giving to our country in fighting this crippling health crisis,” he said. — Russell Louis C. Ku 

The Interior and Local Government department has withdrawn a show cause order issued to Francisco M. Domagoso, mayor of Manila, over the Philippine capital’s supposed failure to fully implement a 2018 memorandum in relation to President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s war on drugs. 

Mr. Moreno was elected mayor of the city in 2019.

The show cause against Mr. Moreno was an “inadvertent re-issuance,” Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Ricojudge Janvier Echiverri said in a memorandum issued Friday. 

“By virtue of this error and the guidance of policies and procedures of the Department, we are hereby withdrawing the document in issue,” the memorandum read.  

The show cause order, which was based on a 2018 performance audit, asked Mr. Moreno to explain within 10 days why he should not be held liable for the supposed failure of the Manila City government to effectively run its anti-drug abuse councils.  

“It was an honest mistake on his part and on the part of his staff,” DILG Undersecretary Jonathan E. Makaya told CNN Philippines when asked to clarify the order made by his colleague. 

In 2019, Mr. Moreno had responded to a similar order claiming that Manila performed badly in an anti-drug abuse audit under the term of his predecessor, Joseph E. Estrada.  

HIGHER OFFICE? 

Speculation is rife that Mr. Moreno may run for president in next year’s elections, although he is yet to announce that he is running. He placed second in the latest presidential poll by Pulse Asia Research Inc. that was released in July. The chief of the Philippine capital came in second to presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, who is open about running for the country’s top post.  

On Thursday, Mr. Moreno resigned as vice-chairman for political affairs of the National Unity Party (NUP), which was formed by former party mates of ex-President Gloria M. Arroyo. He also withdrew his membership in the party. 

“I am very thankful to the party for giving me the chance to serve it the best way possible,” Mr. Moreno said in his resignation letter addressed to party officials.   

The NUP has already thrown its weight behind the potential presidential bid of Ms. Duterte-Carpio in the 2022 polls.  

A PDP Laban faction led by a Cabinet official recently endorsed Senator Christopher Lawrence T. Go as president and President Rodrigo R. Duterte as vice-president at next year’s elections. — Kyle Aristophere Atienza 

OVERSEAS Filipino Workers (OFWs) feel abandoned by the Philippine government as they receive no support while they wait in Manila for the day they can go to their jobs in Hong Kong, said a labor group. 

Speaking at press conference on Friday via Zoom, Migrante International Chairperson Joanna Concepcion said that the government should prioritize stranded OFWs as recipients of cash relief; ensure that OFWs with approved visas be given priority for free vaccines; provide temporary accommodation in lieu of financial assistance for renting boarding house; and should assist the OFWs when recruitment agencies try to collect excessive fees and require multiple mandatory medical examinations.  

“Why do OFWs suffer because of the Duterte government’s ineptitude in handling the virus? Instead of lockdowns, financial relief and government temporary shelters should have been immediately provided to the stranded OFWs who come from far-flung provinces without relatives to rely on in Metro Manila,” a Migrante press statement said. 

Numerous OFWs, stranded in Manila, shared similar stories in the press conference. They apply for work in Hong Kong, have their flight cancelled several times, worry about the expiration of their visa, incur debt while waiting, then are forced back to their provinces to survive.  

“The longer they stay in the Philippines, the longer their miseries are,” said the United Filipinos in Hong Kong Chairperson and Secretary-General of Migrante International Dolores Balladares. 

Ms. Concepcion explained that although HK opened its doors to workers bound for Hong Kong on Monday, the stringent requirements the Hong Kong government requires made workers feel uncertain. 

“The entry ban is only one form of the discriminatory policy of the Hong Kong government that our migrant workers are fighting against. Filipino migrant workers are among those who are severely suffering because of the Philippine government’s ineptitude in handling its overall COVID-19 pandemic response,” said Ms. Concepcion. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan 

A HOUSE lawmaker who advocates for the protection of women said on Friday that the indictment of US diplomat Dean Cheves by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia highlights the need for stronger support for victims of sexual abuse.  

“Young girls from the poorest and most neglected parts of the country are falling prey as many foreign sex offenders are invading the Philippines to exploit the dire state of families under this economic crisis,” said Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene D. Brosas  

The US Department of Justice said on Tuesday that Mr. Cheves, who had served at the US Embassy in Manila from September 2020 to February 2021, was indicted for engaging in sexual activity with a Filipina minor.   

“Court documents further detail that Cheves allegedly engaged in sexual activity with the minor on two occasions, knowing the minor’s age, and produced cell phone videos of himself engaging in the sex acts each time. The videos were found on Cheves’s devices seized from his embassy residence while in the Philippines,” they said.   

If found guilty, Mr. Cheves could face up to 30 years in prison for “engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place” and up to 10 years for possessing child pornography.  

Ms. Brosas said that while she welcomes the decision by the US justice department, she added that the Philippine government should provide support to the victim should cases be filed in local courts.  

She also urged the House to immediately pass the Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children Law which was passed by the Senate on third and final reading on May 31. A counterpart measure filed by Tarlac Rep. Victor A. Yap is currently pending in the House Committee on Revision of Laws.  

Ms. Brosas also urged the passing of amendments to the Anti-Rape Law that seeks to raise the legal age of sexual consent from 12 years old to 16 years old. This was already passed at the House through House Bill 7836, while Senate Bill 2332 is still pending for second reading.  

“Women and other victims of rape who would want to seek justice through the judicial system must be given ample remedies under the law,” she said. — Russell Louis C. Ku 

An alternative, off-site passport renewal center, operated by Visa Facilitation Services (VFS) Global, will open soon in Los Angeles. This is in order to address the increased demand for ePassport renewal applications, the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a press release. 

VFS Global is described as a private third-party outsourcing service provider. It will process the renewal of passports that “have non-complex, non-sensitive and non-discretionary elements.” VFS Global will be charging an additional fee for its services. 

“The DFA reached the agreement with VFS Global in line with President Duterte’s directive for Philippine agencies to streamline procedures and to make ePassport renewal services faster and more convenient, especially for Overseas Filipinos,” Consul General Edgar B. Badajos was quoted as saying in the press release. 

There are already VFS Global Philippine Passport Renewal Centers (PaRC) in Riyadh and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; and Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

Opening the renewal center in Los Angeles was necessary because demand for the service has already surpassed the Consulate’s operating capacity “by a wide margin.” 

“Passport renewal through the VFS Global PARC is not compulsory. It is up to the applicant to decide whether to apply through VFS Global or through the DFA-Global Online Appointment System (GOAS),” the Consul General said.  —  Alyssa Nicole O. Tan