MANILA – Malacañang on Tuesday sought an investigation into the supposed administration of a coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine to Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez.
This, after Romualdez uploaded on his official Facebook page several photos and a video of him getting inoculated with CoronaVac vaccine manufactured by China’s Sinovac Biotech.
In a virtual presser, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said he would ask the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to look into Romualdez’s case.
“Of course, we regret this incident but I will refer the matter to the DILG for proper action dahil kinakailangan po talagang imbestigahan ito (because this really needs to be investigated),” Roque said.
Romualdez, a Covid-19 survivor, announced in his Facebook post that the first CoronaVac vaccine was administered to him by a nurse from the Department of Health who is deployed at the City Health Office.
Based on the photos and the video uploaded on his Facebook account, Romualdez is getting inoculated without face mask and face shield.
Under the government’s national vaccination plan, healthcare front-liners top the priority list of individuals who must receive the first Covid-19 vaccine jabs.
On Monday, Roque announced that local officials have been reclassified as “essential workers” and are now fourth in line to receive the Covid-19 vaccines.
Roque said official local government units (LGUs) are now part of the “A4” priority with other front-line personnel in essential sectors, including uniformed personnel.
To date, there are 1,634 provincial governors and city and municipal mayors and 42,046 village chairpersons nationwide.
Roque, in his latest announcement, clarified that LGU officials are not yet allowed to receive the first vaccine shots.
He reiterated that medical front-liners should be given priority in vaccination against Covid-19.
“Hindi pa nababago po ang ating prayoridad. Dapat medical front-liners pa lang po sa ngayon (Our priority has not changed. Medical front-liners are the only ones who can receive the vaccine shots),” Roque said.
Roque also warned that future deliveries of vaccines through the Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility would be affected if similar incident happens again.
“So again po, uulitin natin, hindi po pupuwedeng magpabakuna muna ang hindi medical front-liners dahil kung susuway po tayo dito sa order of priority na ito, maapektuhan po yung ating future deliveries galing sa COVAX Facility (So again, I repeat, non-medical front-liners are not yet allowed to be vaccinated because if we violate the order of priority, the future deliveries of vaccines through COVAX Facility would be affected),” he said.
The Department of Health (DOH) also echoed Roque's remarks.
“The DOH once again emphasizes that because our vaccines are limited, these doses should first be given to our healthcare workers who most need and deserve it," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a message to reporters.
Vergeire also called on government officials to wait for their turn and follow the approved prioritization framework in the vaccination drive employed by the national government.
The Philippines targets to inoculate up to 70 million Filipinos within the year. (with report from Teresa Montemayor/PNA)
