Senators want penalties vs. vaccine line jumpers

Several senators on Friday said government officials should face penalties for getting COVID-19 vaccines ahead of the prioritized sectors.

In a radio interview, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian asserted that several local government officials and an actor who got inoculated with COVID-19 vaccines should face stiff charges.

“Kung talagang napatunayan na sinadya po nila, at yung kanilang mga dahilan ay paikot-ikot lang at palusot lang, ako ang aking pananaw diyan dapat ay ang pinakamabigat po na parusa,” Gatchalian said.

(In my view, they should face the heaviest penalty if it is proven that they deliberately jumped the vaccine line and they are just making alibis.)

Gatchalian also insisted that the artist who reportedly got the COVID-19 vaccine should face charges.

He pointed out that these vaccine line jumpers are getting the COVID-19 jabs that are allocated for the healthcare workers who are directly dealing with the pandemic.

Despite mayors’ justification that they got inoculated to boost their constituents’ vaccine confidence, Gatchalian said these are just alibis as the bulk of COVID-19 jabs for mass vaccination will arrive around July based on his timetable.

“July pa darating ang bulto ng bakuna para sa publiko kaya dapat July na nila ginawa 'yun dahil ang publiko ang susunod na mabibigyan ng bakuna,” he said, adding that the mayors are aware of the government’s vaccine prioritization plan.

Government credibility

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon likewise said the Department of Justice must determine the violations if the government’s vaccine prioritization plan was not followed.

Drilon pointed out that the reported illegal and unauthorized vaccination of government officials impacted the credibility of the government in asking the public to follow their rules.

“[T]he credibility of the government to make the Filipinos follow the rules is negatively affected by past incidents, including the reported illegal and unauthorized vaccination of government officials,” the minority leader  emphasized.

Drilon also mentioned the “uncertainty” in the supply and delivery of vaccines as a reason behind the incidents on vaccine line jumpers.

He said the public is worried about the record-high COVID infections every day and the “woefully” inadequate supply of vaccines.

“The government must ramp up vaccine supply. It all boils down to supply and demand. Unfortunately, as admitted by the President, hindi pa dumarating yung binili nating bakuna, (the vaccines we purchased have not arrived yet)” he said.

Senate Health and Demography chairman Christopher Bong Go reiterated his appeal to local chief executives to strictly adhere to the government’s vaccine priority list.

The former presidential aide said he asked the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Health to investigate the incidents.

He added that these cases may reach the Office of the Ombudsman.

Frontliners, too

On the other hand, Senator Francis Tolentino argued that the mayors should also be considered as frontliners, explaining that they are also working on the ground to fight the pandemic.

“The [Inter-Agency Task Force] should have categorized as frontliners in the first place the local chief executives - as they are the ones really attending to the COVID pandemic on the ground,” he said.

“Mayors and governors are considered de facto health workers being in charge of health matters in their jurisdictions not to mention their functions in implementing the General Welfare Clause of the Local [Government] Code,” he added.

As of Friday, show-cause orders against 12 mayors and a councilor are expected to be issued by the DILG, asking them to explain and justify their vaccination ahead of the prioritized sectors.

If the violations are confirmed, DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III 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 list set by the national government, the vaccination rollout in the country will start with frontline health workers, followed by indigent senior citizens, persons with comorbidities, remaining senior citizens, remaining indigent population, and uniformed personnel. — RSJ, GMA News