DOJ warns of ‘legal challenges’ if unvaccinated 4Ps beneficiaries stripped of subsidy

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday warned of legal challenges and adverse political repercussions over a "no vaccine, no subsidy" policy for unvaccinated beneficiaries of the conditional cash transfer or Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

In a statement to reporters, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra explained that those qualified under the 4Ps Act are "legally entitled" to the conditional cash transfer benefits as long as they are complying with the law's conditions for entitlement for the subsidy.

"The 4Ps beneficiaries are the most marginalized families in our country. to remove their current benefits may give rise not only to legal challenges but more so to adverse political repercussions," he said, reacting to reports the Department of the Interior and Local Government sought to disincentivize the unvaccinated 4Ps recipients.

Further, Guevarra said that under the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021, vaccination cards must not be a requirement for government transactions.

"Hence, non-vaccination against COVID-19 cannot be a ground for suspension or termination of conditional cash transfer benefits if the beneficiary household has already qualified, and continues to qualify, under the 4Ps act," he added.

Under Section 11 of the 4Ps Act, all household beneficiaries must comply with all of the following conditions:

• Pregnant women must avail of pre-natal services, give birth in a health facility attended by a skilled health professional, and receive post-partum care and post-natal care for her newborn;
• Children zero (0) to five (5) years old must receive regular preventive health and nutrition services including check-ups and vaccinations;
• Children one (1) to fourteen (14) years old must avail of deworming pills at least twice a year;
• Children three (3) to four (4) years old must attend day care or pre-school classes at least eighty-five percent (85%) of them time;
• Children five (5) to eighteen (18) years old must attend elementary or secondary classes at least eighty-five percent (85%) of their time; and
• At least one (1) responsible person must attend family development sessions conducted by the DSWD, at least once a month.

Any or all of the conditions for entitlement may be suspended by the DSWD Secretary during times of calamities, war, and armed conflicts.

With the Philippines no longer having issues with the vaccination supply, the government is mulling mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations to increase its coverage.

As this happened, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said there were still challenges for some regions to administer more vaccine doses due to the lack of vaccinators and other logistical issues.

As of November 8, almost 30 million Filipinos are fully inoculated versus COVID-19. The figure is 38.21% of the target population needed to achieve herd immunity.  — DVM, GMA News