‘No Vax, No Aid’: Who’s To Blame For Fake News That Sparked Vaccination Rush?

Large crowds swarmed Metro Manila vaccination sites in the wee hours on Thursday, Aug. 5, after false information circulated that only the vaccinated could receive financial aid during the hard lockdown.

In Manila, over 5,000 individuals lined up at the SM Manila vaccination site while around 7,000 to 10,000 people gathered at SM San Lazaro, prompting mall management to cancel the vaccination there.

At least 3,000 people lined up at the Lucky Chinatown site and another 4,000 at Robinsons Manila. Only 2,500 doses were allotted in each of the four mall sites.

In Las Piñas, thousands rushed to vaccination sites despite the local government issuing an advisory saying that only those with patient ID numbers and QR codes, or senior citizens, would be accommodated.

The same thing happened in Antipolo City, prompting Mayor Andrea Ynares to stop people from walking into vaccination sites.

Metro Manila, the province of Laguna and the cities of Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro will be placed on lockdown until the middle of August, Malacañang announced.

In a statement, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said President Duterte approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to place Laguna, Iloilo City and Cagayan de Oro under enhanced community quarantine or ECQ beginning Aug. 6 until Aug. 15.

Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro have been under the strictest quarantine classification since July 16.

There was also a proposal to place the entire Calabarzon region - composed of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon - on lockdown but only Laguna was classified as an ECQ area.

Roque said Cavite, Lucena City, Rizal, and Iloilo province will be under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from Aug. 6 to 15. The province of Iloilo used to be under ECQ.

Batangas and Quezon, meanwhile, will be classified as general community quarantine with heightened restrictions from Aug. 6 to 15.

Read more: IN PHOTOS: Chaos At Vaccine Sites As Thousands Rush To Get Shots Before Lockdown

Isko sees politics

In her Facebook post on Thursday, Ynares called on people to only follow reliable sources of information.

Based on those who waited in line even if curfew is being implemented, fake news spread that unvaccinated individuals would not be able to go out and work, and receive financial assistance.

“Ayon sa mga pumila, may kumalat DAW kasi na balita (fake news) na hindi makakalabas, walang makukuhang ayuda o hindi makakapagtrabaho kung walang bakuna. Muli, huwag po maniwala sa mga fake news at kumuha ng balita sa mapagkakatiwalaang source lamang,” Ynares said.

In a dzMM interview, Manila Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan said the long queues were caused by non-Manila residents who were not pre-registered. She said the city implements a walk-in policy but requires residents to pre-register to generate a QR code.

Social distancing was not followed, prompting local authorities to suspend the vaccination at two sites and declare that starting today, walk-ins would not be allowed.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno did not respond directly to questions on why people decided to flock to vaccination sites.

He sent a clip of President Duterte  ordering the police to escort unvaccinated residents back to their homes if they go outside.

Moreno did not answer when asked if he was blaming the President for the false information that spread on Thursday.

In a command conference with the police, Moreno attributed the chaos to an “agitator.” He expressed belief that politics was involved in the recent influx of individuals in the vaccination sites of the city and that he already got an idea as to who was behind the trouble.

“Pero just the same, there is time for politics, and there is time for governance. Iligtas natin ang tao. Bakunahan natin ang tao, that is the only way to protect them. Ako hindi ako mako-confuse we will pay the price of our action. That is what you call governance,” he said.

According to the Manila city government, the individuals came from Cavite, Bulacan, Laguna, and Rizal.

Also on Thursday, the Department of the Interior and Local Government issued a show cause order Moreno over the alleged failure of the city government to meet the standards of the Anti-Drug Abuse Council in 2018, a year before the mayor was elected to the post. The order was dated July 9.

Not required

Malacañang clarified that COVID-19 vaccination is not required to receive financial aid from government.

“All the needy persons will get aid. You won’t be asked for proof of vaccination. I think someone is spreading fake news. Some people cannot do something good with their lives. I don’t know why they are not yet catching COVID,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.

“There is no truth whatsoever to the rumor that only vaccinated individuals will be given ayuda. The Ayuda 2 approved by the President is for low-income individuals and families in the National Capital Region (NCR) regardless of vaccination status,” DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya added.

“You can’t go out if you are not APOR but the vaccine is not part of the equation,” PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said over dzBB, referring to authorized persons outside of residence.

Probe

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra has directed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to probe and track down those spreading the “no vaccine, no aid” rumors.

“There is also a standing DOJ (Department of Justice) directive to the NBI to track down people maliciously and willfully spreading false information in cyberspace,” Guevarra said.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Benhur Abalos called the rumors “fake news.”

“The said news are fake and baseless. On the contrary, and to set the record straight, the distribution of ayuda and/or other benefits or privileges is not anchored on whether an individual has been inoculated or not,” Abalos said in a letter addressed to NBI officer-in-charge Eric Distor.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III urged local government units to observe health protocols, while Commission on Human Rights (CHR) spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia called on LGUs to revisit vaccine distribution plans.

No vaccine, no work

Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said that while employers can encourage workers to get vaccinated, a “no vaccine no work” policy is against the law.

“During the ECQ, employers may opt to let vaccinated employees report for work because they have added protection. But that is not a reason to terminate the unvaccinated,” DOLE Assistant Secretary Dominique Tutay said.