Local government officials may face charges if health protocols weren’t enforced in vaccination sites, according to Palace.
On Thursday, Malacañang warned that local government officials may face charges of dereliction of duty if health protocols weren’t enforced in vaccination sites.
In his regular press briefing, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque warned that local government officials may face charges of dereliction of duty if they failed to enforce minimum health protocols and also allowed the conduct of vaccination to become superspreader events.
When asked if local government officials will be held liable for people crowding in COVID-19 vaccination sites, Roque said that there’s a possibility for dereliction of duty so that they needed to enforce minimum health standards at the vaccination sites.
“May possibility po talaga magkaroon ng dereliction of duty so kailangan ipatupad po ang minimum health standards. Pero do not misconstrue me. Tama po na excited tayo at gusto natin magpabakuna. Ang sinasabi ko lang, wag natin gawing superspreader event ang bakunahan dahil it defeats the purpose po. Pero tama po kayo na gusto nyo na magpabakuna,” Roque said.
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Also, Roque mentioned how President Rodrigo Duterte himself previously stressed that it was the local government units’ obligation to ease the process of vaccination.
Roque’s warning came after thousands of people hoping to be vaccinated against COVID-19 flocked to different COVID-19 vaccination sites in Metro Manila ahead of ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) in the region.
In a Facebook post, Manila Public Information chief Julius Leonen said that people flocked to the COVID-19 vaccination sites after hearing reports that they’ll not be allowed to leave their homes during the ECQ if they weren’t vaccinated against COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) warned the public against disinformation and fake news about COVID-19 vaccination and cash assistance.
In a statement, DILG spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya denied that only vaccinated people will be given financial assistance under the two-week ECQ in Metro Manila.
According to Malaya, there’s no truth to the rumor that only vaccinated individuals will be given “ayuda”, adding that the guidelines were being finalized for the immediate release of the funds following the same system implemented during “Ayuda 1” last April.
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