Mayors, Actor Under Fire For Allegedly Jumping Vaccination Line; Romualdez Apologizes But…

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) identified at least five mayors and an actor who allegedly jumped the COVID-19 vaccination line.

Being non-healthcare workers, these personalities do not belong to the list of those who should be inoculated first against the disease.

DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing disclosed on Wednesday, March 24, that Mayors Alfred Romualdez of Tacloban City, Dibu Tuan of T’boli, South Cotabato, Sulpicio Villalobos of Santo Niño, South Cotabato, Noel Rosal of Legazpi City in Bicol, and Abraham Ibba of Bataraza, Palawan would be summoned to explain why they did not opt to wait for their turn to be vaccinated.

Densing said the DILG already issued the show cause orders against the five mayors.

Not included in the list of those to be summoned were Mayor Elanito Peña of Minglanilla, Cebu; and Victoriano Torres of Alicia, Virgilio Mendez of San Miguel Arturo Piollo II of Lila, all of Bohol, and other barangay officials. CNN Philippines reported that the mayors themselves announced this month that they had decided to get inoculated to convince their constituents to do the same.

Densing disclosed actor Mark Anthony Fernandez was inoculated in Parañaque, but the city’s local health official quickly defended the move.

Meanwhile, a barangay chairman in Taytay, Rizal wanted to get vaccinated against COVID-19 but was rebuffed by the municipal health officer.

Roseller Valera of Barangay San Juan wanted to be inoculated with the vaccine  developed by British-Swedish pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca plc, reasoning that he is also a medical frontliner being a member of the barangay health emergency response team or BHERT.

However, Taytay health officer Jeffrey Roxas  denied Valera's request given the limited supply of vaccines in Taytay.

“You were denied based on Department of Health Memorandum No. 0099 Series of 2021, known as the Interim Omnibus Guidelines for the Implementation of the National Vaccination Plan for COVID-19,” Roxas said in a letter, a copy of which was received by Valera on Tuesday, March 23.

Roxas said there are only 62 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine meant for the entire health office of Taytay.

In response, Valera scored Roxas for the discrimination he has received. “Being also a member of BHERT, I was discriminated and denied the life-saving vaccine,” he said.

Earlier this month, DILG Underscretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya, Metro Manila Development Authority chief of staff Michael Salalima were also questioned after they were vaccinated with the vaccine developed by Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech Ltd. at the Pasay City General Hospital.

There were also controversies involving smuggled vaccines used by some members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) last year as well as veteran journalist and former special envoy to China Ramon Tulfo, who bared that some Cabinet officials and a senator also received shots that were not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

It was President Duterte who divulged that almost all of the soldiers had been vaccinated but he refused to have them investigated by Congress. Government agencies looking into the issue also faced a blank wall as the PSG would not cooperate in the probe.

Duterte also said he wanted the police and the soldiers to be among those vaccinated first being frontliners.

On Wednesday night, Duterte expressed concern over the inoculation of those who were not included in the priority list of vaccinees as the supply from COVAX Facility might be compromised.

Duterte and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the government needs 3.4 million doses for the vaccination of 1.7 million healthcare workers in the country.  

In his televised address to the nation, Duterte stated he was “admonishing everybody” in the past that the priority list must be followed.

The President said the Philippines should adhere to the conditions set by the World Health Organization, adding he heard that many, including the “child” of showbiz personalities getting vaccinated even if they were not part of the priority sectors.

Duterte mentioned the names of the mayors after initially saying he did not want to identify them but spared Fernandez. He declared it would be up to the Department of Health (DOH) to deal with them. He said the DOH could make a report and submit it directly to the Office of the Ombudsman.

He noted he could understand the psyché of the Filipinos as regards cutting in line and favoring friends, but the problem was that the only the first priority group could be accommodated so far.  “Sumingit  ka dyan, ‘yan ang style ng Filipino.”

Duque said provincial and city health officers as well as hospital officials are to be blamed if something goes wrong with the vaccination program. The health chief added the DILG was also in charge of summoning the local officials involved.

Duterte pointed out the “universal excuse” that the mayors had themselves vaccinated so their constituents would not be afraid of the process, but he thinks it’s a “gray area” and would require a legal study as the priority list has to be followed “religiously.”

He lamented that the country is still dependent on donated vaccines because of short supply of the jabs.

Duterte said the issue of jumping the vaccination line could be trivial during ordinary times but not when a pandemic is raging.

Possible violations

On Wednesday, Densing told radio station dzBB  that the show cause orders were sent to the mayors as violations were deemed to have been committed.

The mayors could face administrative charges for their actions, Densing said.

If probable cause is found, Densing noted the complaint would also be forwarded to the ombudsman for possible sanctions.

The DILG said it would ask the ombudsman to put up a special lane for the filing of charges against local officials who violate the government’s program to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

The mayors could even be held liable for command responsibility when individuals outside of the priority list are given vaccines in their jurisdictions. Densing stressed the local officials must implement the inoculation program properly and in accordance with the guidelines set by the WHO.

Densing said every personality who jumps the line deprives a health worker of the protection needed as a frontliner in battling the pandemic.

There have been many complaints of individuals jumping the line, especially in the provinces, according to Densing.

Romualdez apologizes but…

Romualdez apologized to the DILG and the DOH as he failed to coordinate with them before he was inoculated on Sunday, March 22. He said he was not able to ask permission because he was racing against time.

The mayor said he was ready to face the consequences of his action but insisted he did not violate the rules set by the national government.

“I don't think I broke the rule,” Romualdez said in an interview with “Agenda” on One News on Wednesday.

He explained the doses of Sinovac vaccine that arrived much earlier would end up unused if he did not get himself vaccinated because those in the list did not want to avail of the shots.

Romualdez said he took the risk because only 85 of the160 medical frontliners in the city took the Sinovac jabs. The mayor added he did not want his constituents to think that he was waiting for other vaccine brands, and that what’s good for them should be good for him, too.

If United States President Joe Biden was inoculated to convince people to take the vaccines, Romualdez sees no reason why local chief executives should not be allowed to do the same.

“I am doing it because maraming ayaw magpabakuna and yet I am slaughtered,” he said.

Substitution list

Parañaque City health officer Dr. Olga Virtusio confirmed that Fernandez was vaccinated with AstraZeneca on Monday, March 22, at the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Barangay Don Bosco.

The city government has Fernandez’s record after he registered for the city government’s COVID-19 vaccination program, she said.

Based on his record, Fernandez was included in the substitution list and since he is suffering from high blood pressure, Virtusio said he is qualified to receive the jab under the Priority Group A3 of vaccine prioritization or those with comorbidities.

Healthcare workers are part of Priority Group A1 while senior citizens belong to Priority Group A2.

“Did we do anything wrong? I hope they (get to) know our situation before they react,” Virtusio told The Philippine STAR on Wednesday.

She explained that the city government has been consistent in giving COVID-19 vaccines to people in the priority list composed of medical frontliners, senior citizens and people with comorbidities like Fernandez.

“We provide to everybody willing to get vaccinated as long as they belong to Category A,” she said.

“Hindi kami nag-li-limit, kung may senior (citizen) at may dumating na health worker, open na mabakunahan sila pareho,” she added.

At the same time, the city government would not force people in the priority list to get vaccinated, Virtusio said. “It is their choice.”

Densing said the report that Fernandez was vaccinated pissed him off. “Pikon na pikon na ako dahil sa Parañaque may artista na binakunahan.”

Vaccine supply might be compromised

On Wednesday, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire warned against jumping the line as the country’s future of supply of vaccines from COVAX Facility might be compromised.

Vergeire said the DOH is now working with DILG and the Department of Justice for possible penalty against the personalities who refused to follow the priority list.

On Tuesday, Vergeire said “vaccines are limited,” thus the doses should first be given to healthcare workers “who most need and deserve” them.

WHO Philippine representative Rabindra Abeyasinghe earlier emphasized that all doses must first be administered to the “agreed upon priority groups starting” with healthcare workers.

Malacañang – through presidential spokesman Harry Roque – also said on Tuesday that violating the vaccination protocols might jeopardize the conditions set by the COVAX Facility on donated vaccines, including AstraZeneca.

Vaccines from Sinovac and another Chinese drugmaker Sinopharm, which Tulfo availed of, were not among the brands from the COVAX Facility. The Sinovac and AstraZeneca jabs being administered to healthcare workers were donations from China and COVAX Facility, respectively.

Duterte thanked China and the WHO for helping the Philippines secure vaccines. – With Sheila Crisostomo, Christina Mendez