Navotas mayor Tiangco opposes mandatory COVID-19 vaccination

Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco on Friday expressed opposition to the suggestion of making COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for Filipinos.

“Hindi ako pabor sa mandatory" (I am not in favor of mandatory vaccination), he said.

On Thursday, vaccine czar Secretary Carilito Galvez, Jr. said that he is looking into mandatory vaccination of recipients of the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) to address vaccine hesitancy.

“Nakita ko katulad ng mga tinatawag natin, ‘yung binibigyan ng 4Ps dapat pag binigyan sama na ‘yung vaccination… parang sinasabi natin pagka walang vaccine, walang ayuda,” Galvez said in an interview.

(Recipients of the 4Ps should simultaneously be given aid and vaccinated against COVID-19… like we are saying if you are not vaccinated, you won’t have aid.)

For Tiangco, unvaccinated people should be convinced to get vaccinated by opening more establishments, and easing restrictions.

“Yung mga hindi pa bakunado, kumbinsihin natin magpabakuna (Those who have yet to be vaccinated, let’s convince them to get vaccinated),” he said.  —LBG, GMA News