Mayors accused of jumping line for COVID-19 jab: We did it for the people

Some mayors defended themselves after receiving show cause orders for getting vaccinated against COVID-19 ahead of the prioritized sectors, according to Joseph Morong's report on Unang Balita on Thursday.

Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez said he decided to get the jab to convince his constituents to get the COVID-19 vaccines amid public apprehension toward the vaccine.

“Sinabi ko naman sa inyo noon pa na ako ang unang susubok para sa inyo [I told you even before that I will be the first who will try the vaccine for you],” he said.

Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal also gave a similar explanation for his vaccination, saying that he did it for the people in his city.

“Kung nagawa ko man is para yun sa tao sa amin (If I did it, it was for the people in our city),” he said.

Bataraza, Palawan Mayor Abraham Ibba, for his part, said many of their frontliners had doubts receiving the vaccines so he decided to get inoculated to hopefully alter their perception.

“Maraming nag-aalangan na mga frontlines natin. Ayaw magpa-vaccine. Since nandito na, mauna ako para wala nang duda ‘yung iba. Frontliner din ako,” he said.

(Many of our frontliners are uncertain about the vaccine. They don’t want to get vaccinated. Since the vaccines are here, I would go first to allay their doubts. I am also a frontliner.”)

Sto. Nino, South Cotabato Mayor Sulpicio Villalobos, meanwhile, said that he was among the last recipients who got the jab during the vaccination of frontliners.

“Kasabay ko rin ‘yung mga healthcare worker, ‘yung mga frontliners ano. At saka yung by 10 po ‘yung isang batch ay ako naman ay malapit na sa kuwarenta, panghuli kumbaga.”

(The frontliners and I got inoculated at the same time. Every batch is by 10. I am near number 40, the last one so to speak.”)

On Wednesday, the Department of the Interior and Local Government issued show cause orders to five mayors for getting COVID-19 vaccines ahead of those on the priority list.

DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III said show cause orders were issued to the following mayors as of Tuesday:

• Mayor Alfred Romualdez of Tacloban City, Leyte
• Mayor Dibu Tuan of T’boli, South Cotabato
• Mayor Sulpicio Villalobos of Sto. Nino, South Cotabato
• Mayor Noel Rosal of Legazpi City, Albay
• Mayor Abraham Ibba of Bataraza, Palawan

Some of the mayors have not issued a statement yet about the matter.

Densing said these mayors have to explain their inoculation which may have violated the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

If the violations were confirmed, Densing said the DILG will forward the complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman to decide on the sanctions that will be imposed on the mayors.

Based on the prioritization set by the national government, the vaccination rollout in the country will start with frontline health workers, indigent senior citizens, remaining senior citizens, remaining indigent population, and uniformed personnel.

In a televised address on Wednesday night, President Rodrigo Duterte said he had been warned by the World Health Organization (WHO) that the country might lose vaccine donations from the COVAX facility if the priority list wasn't followed.

"If you do not follow the list of priority you might lose the assistance of the WHO. It is quite clear to us," Duterte said.  —KBK, GMA News