The spokesman of Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez released a Commission on Audit observation memorandum stating that various vaccines amounting to P14.4 million either procured by the city government or received from the national government were expired, damaged or defective, which resulted to wastage of government funds.
A copy of the audit memorandum observation dated March 30, 2022 was released by Benitez spokesman Lyzander Dilag to the media at a press conference on Thursday, July 14.
The report cited 2,212 vials of AstraZeneca, 141 of Moderna, 1,820 of Sputnik and 123 of Sinovac vaccines amounting to P14, 453,116.
Bacolod Cold Room Coordinator Paulynne Sustento, in response to the COA observation memorandum on May 4, said the AstraZeneca vaccines expiring February 2022 were 1,125 vials and not 2,212. They were granted an extension by the Food and Drug Administration until May 31, 2022 and were used and properly reported, she said.
The 140 Moderna vials were part of the 300 forwarded from the Provincial Health Office as facilitated by the Department of Health, which sought the assistance of the city government to dispose of the thawed vaccines, she said.
They were received by the city on February 8 and had a shelf life until February 10 so they did their best to dispose of them, she added.
As for the Sputnik and Sinovac vaccines, the incident reports are self-explanatory, she added.*