Pimentel wary Filipinos might be forced to get COVID-19 jabs

Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Tuesday urged the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to review its resolutions that geared towards making COVID-19 vaccination mandatory.

At a Senate hearing, Pimentel told IATF chairperson, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III that there are certain policies implemented by the task force which indirectly prompt Filipinos to get vaccinated.

“Aware naman tayong lahat secretary ‘no, na ang vaccination against COVID-19 is not mandatory. It should be voluntary. Pwede ba irequest sa IATF na i-review ninyo ang inyong guidelines o mga resolutions niyo because I could see some of these are parang meant or geared towards making the vaccinations mandatory,” Pimentel said.

(I guess we are all aware that vaccination against COVID-19 is not mandatory. It should be voluntary. Can we request the IATF to review their guidelines or resolutions because I could see some of these are geared towards making the vaccinations mandatory?)

Should the government want to make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory, Pimentel said the matter should be subject to debate in Congress.

“I-review po natin ‘yon kasi kung gusto natin gawing mandatory pagdebatehan namin sa Kongreso ‘yan. ‘Di natin pwede gawin through regulations na in effect, you are making it mandatory,” he pointed out.

(Let us review this because if we want the COVID-19 vaccination become mandatory, then we should debate on it in Congress. You should not issue regulations which in effect, makes it mandatory.)

He cited the IATF’s resolution allowing fully-vaccinated senior citizens in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified GCQ to go outside their residences.

“For example, ang senior citizens natin pag fully-vaccinated na, I think you will allow them to go out of their homes. ‘Yung hindi fully-vaccinated, parang house arrest,” he said.

(For example, the senior citizens who are fully-vaccinated, I think, you will allow them to go out of their homes while those who are not fully-vaccinated are in effect they are in house arrest.)

“Alam niyo ba na ang house arrest is a recognized penalty in some countries. So in effect, we are penalizing the unvaccinated senior citizens so  paki-review po ‘yan,” he added.

(Did you know that house arrest is a recognized penalty in some countries? So in effect, we are penalizing the unvaccinated senior citizens. So, please review that.)

Pimentel reminded the IATF officials present at the Senate hearing that herd immunity should be achieved because Filipinos are willing and not forced to get COVID-19 vaccines.

In response, Duque assured the Senate Committee of the Whole that the government is consistent with the policy that COVID-19 vaccination is not mandatory.

“Yes, your honor. Voluntary po ‘yan and the proof of that is everybody signs a consent form kung gusto nila magpabakuna o hindi,” the Health chief.

(That is voluntary and the proof is everybody is signing a consent form if they want to get vaccinated or not.)

Last Friday, Malacañang announced that IATF has decided to allow senior citizens in areas under the GCQ and MGCQ to go outside their homes for non-essential trips.

The elderly should bring their vaccination cards when going out of their residences.

Previously, Senator Nancy Binay and Cynthia Villar debated on the government’s policy prohibiting senior citizens from going out of their residences.

At the same hearing, vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said the Philippine government has administered over seven million COVID-19 doses as of June 14.

So far, there are 980,471 medical frontliners, 486,945 senior citizens, 429,301 person with comorbidities, and 7,067 essential workers who are fully vaccinated.

Earlier, Galvez said the government expects to achieve herd immunity in the National Capital Region (NCR) and nearby provinces by November.

The government is eyeing the inoculation of at least 70% of the country's population to achieve herd immunity before the end of 2021.—LDF,GMA News