Officials of the Central Luzon police wear face masks and face shields during a recent ceremony at Camp Olivas in Pampanga. (File photo from the PRO3-PIO)
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Monday that police officers may now have themselves inoculated as essential worker under the A4 category, with no penalties for those who would refuse vaccine jabs.
“Nagbigay na po ng clearance ang ating DILG Secretary Eduardo Año sa ating kapulisan na maaari na silang magpabakuna kung sila ay aalukin ng mga LGU kung saan sila assigned,” PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said in a statement.
(DILG Secretary Eduardo Año has already given clearance to our police that they may now receive vaccine jabs if offered by the LGUs to which they are assigned.)
About 87.68 percent of police officers are willing to get anti-COVID-19 shots, according to Eleazar.
Eleazar said that once the PNP receives its allocated COVID-19 vaccine, he would be the first one to get vaccinated to encourage the remaining 12 percent of the police force to get inoculated.
He added that senior police officials should also lead by example and inspire their men to get protection against the virus.
Eleazar, however, clarified that the PNP would not force vaccination nor penalize policemen who are not willing to get vaccinated.
“Tinitiyak ko na walang mangyayaring pilitan pero aasahan po natin sa ating kapulisan na mas magiging matimbang ang pagtulong sa tagumpay ng national vaccination program sa pamamagitan ng pagpapakita sa ating mga kababayan ng kahalagahan ng pagpapabakuna kontra COVID,” Eleazar said.
(I assure you that there will be no coercion but we will expect our police to lean towards helping the success of the national vaccination program by showing our countrymen the importance of vaccination against COVID.)
“Maaari silang magsilbing ehemplo na walang dapat pangambahan sa pagpapabakuna (they can set an example that the vaccine shouldn’t be feared),” he added.
Vaccines for the police force are expected to be available in the coming weeks, according to Eleazar.
As of writing, around 15,700 — officers who belong to the A1, A2, and A3 priority group — out of the 220,000-strong police force are already vaccinated.
This announcement came after the Philippines launched vaccination against COVID-19 of economic frontliners or those belonging to the A4 priority group on Monday.
Other LGUs are set to start vaccinating individuals under the A4 priority group, in Metro Manila and eight other areas once vaccine supply is steady.
The A4 group includes private-sector workers who are physically present in their workplace; employees in government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned or controlled corporations and local government units; informal sector workers and self-employed individuals who work outside their homes; and those working in private households.