Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro. Photo from Marikina PIO Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) should at least reprimand the local executives who skipped the line on the government’s COVID-19 vaccination priority list, Marikina City Mayor Marcelino Teodoro said Friday.
Teodoro, in an interview over the ABS-CBN News Channel, added that despite local government officials moving up the priority list, it is not the right time for them to get vaccinated.
“At least I think they should be reprimanded. We are included now in the priority list but it’s not yet our schedule,” Teodoro said when asked what should the DILG do to the erring mayors who got vaccinated.
This, as the DILG, issued show-cause orders against five mayors to explain why they got vaccinated ahead of medical frontliners.
According to the government’s vaccination priority list, medical frontliners are the first to get the vaccines, to be followed by senior citizens and by persons with comorbidities.
When asked what he thought about the mayors’ reason that they were inoculated to boost public confidence in the vaccines, Teodoro answered: “I think three weeks ago or a month ago, that is necessary to lead by example to show confidence in the process of vaccination.”
To recall, Teodoro also asked if he can get vaccinated as health workers in Marikina were afraid to get the Sinovac vaccines. His request, however, was denied as the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group said the vaccines should go to healthcare workers first.