MANILA, Philippines — Local government officials who skipped the line for COVID-19 vaccination will still get their second dose, an official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Thursday.
DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing made this assurance after the department issued show-cause orders to five mayors for getting vaccinated against COVID-19 ahead of the prioritized sector.
“Opo, ibibigay pa rin naman ang second dose so swerte naman nila,” DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing said in a Laging Handa public briefing.
(Yes, they will still get their second dose, so they’re very lucky.)
However, these local chiefs could face administrative cases should they fail to justify their vaccination, Densing said.
“Hindi sila makakawala sa potential na administrative case if ever hindi justified ‘yung kanilang pagbabakuna ahead of others,” he said.
(They will not escape from potential administrative cases if ever they cannot justify their vaccination.)
Densing said they are still studying whether or not these mayors could face charges for violation of the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021.
The DILG is also verifying reports of two additional government officials who skipped the priority line and got vaccinated against COVID-19.
Aside from local officials, actor Mark Anthony Fernandez was also reported to have received a vaccine against COVID-19.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier ordered the Department of Health to investigate the COVID-19 vaccination of an actor, which was believed to be Fernandez.