Robredo opposes any penalties for vaccine hesitancy

Presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo on Saturday reiterated that she favors giving incentives for people to get vaccinated against COVID-19, but declared her opposition to imposing penalties for vaccine hesitancy.

“Para sa akin, mas mabuti na kapag may hesitance i-incentivize upang magpa-bakuna, kaysa paparusahan ang mga ayaw magpa-bakuna,” Robredo told reporters on the sidelines of her visit in Murcia, Negros Occidental.

[For me, it’s better to incentivize rather than penalize those who don’t want to get vaccinated.]

On Friday, the Vice President said the government should provide people with incentives to encourage them to get vaccinated against COVID-19, and speed up the country's vaccination pace. 

Robredo made the remark when pressed if she was in favor of implementing mandatory anti-COVID vaccination for eligible members of the population.

“Tingin ko, hindi effective na way iyong paparusahan mo o ifa-fine mo o hindi mo bibigyan ng pagkakataon,” she said.

[I think, punishment or imposing fines is not an effective way because you are not giving them a choice.] 

“Nakita naman namin sa mga program namin na when you give incentives, iyong mga tao naman pumapayag ng kusang loob and I think, it’s the more effective way,” she pointed out.

(We saw in our programs that when you give incentives, people volunteer to get vaccinated and I think, it’s the more effective way.)

The government is now discussing how it can implement mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 to further increase coverage rates, National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF) spokesperson Restituto Padilla Jr. said. 

Once a law is enacted making vaccination mandatory, Padilla said there will be consequences for those who still refuse to get jabbed.

On Friday, the Department of Health (DOH) expressed support for the mandatory vaccination of specific vulnerable sectors against COVID-19, saying it is needed to achieve population protection.

Vaccine czar and NTF Against COVID-19 Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. on Thursday said he is now in favor of mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 and that an executive order from President Rodrigo Duterte may be sufficient for it. —LBG, GMA News