Sotto admits taking Ivermectin

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Vicente Sotto III admitted yesterday taking locally-made Ivermectin as a preventive regimen against COVID-19, which has already claimed over 15,000 lives in the country.

“I also take once every two weeks, yes, for prevention,” Sotto said in an interview over dwIZ as he confirmed taking Ivermectin in his own effort to avoid getting infected with COVID-19.

He did not specify when he started taking the drug.

Sotto said he also knew some people who tested positive for COVID-19 and suffered from the symptoms but decided to take Ivermectin and eventually recovered from the virus.

Earlier, FDA director-general Eric Domingo said only doctors at two undisclosed hospitals granted a compassionate special permit (CSP) for the use of Ivermectin can give the drug to COVID-19 patients.

On President Duterte’s warning that the public should brace for more COVID-19 deaths, Sotto said it might have been intended to call the attention of the DOH to look for other possible cures for the virus.

Aside from Ivermectin, Sotto said he also read testimonies that virgin coconut oil is good in addressing COVID-19 just by rubbing it on the nose.

Vaccination probe

Meanwhile, Sotto said he has yet to talk to the Senate legal division on the request of six senators to reconvene the Senate committee of the whole which earlier investigated the national government plan on vaccination.

Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Sens. Francis Pangilinan, Nancy Binay, Leila de Lima and Risa Hontiveros wrote Sotto last week to request that the all-member panel reconvene to reassess the government’s vaccine programs.

“We want to look at the latest on COVID-19 response challenges, especially in the health care system and the significant surge in COVID-19 cases,” said Pangilinan.

In another development, Sotto said vaccine czar Carlito Galvez has given the go-signal for the Senate to procure vaccines for its over 2,000 regular and contractual employees.

He said the vaccines are expected to arrive either later this month or early May, before the resumption of the session. Congress is currently on Lenten break until May 17.

He added that the Senate decided to procure Sputnik V by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology based in Russia.