PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar answers questions from the media during a news conference Monday at the Camp Olivas grandstand in Pampanga province. (Photo by Jun A. Malig)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga—Although only 500 COVID-19 vaccine doses were allotted to the Philippine National Police (PNP), more than 25,000 police personnel have already received either first dose or full vaccination against COVID-19.
PNP Chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar disclosed this during a news conference Monday at Camp Julian Olivas here.
“As of today, more than 25,000 police personnel were vaccinated already. Included are those under A1, A2, and A3, and we also have A4 because recently, for the past three weeks, the A4 have been allowed to be vaccinated,” he said.
Eleazar said the PNP was still waiting for the 500 doses of vaccines.
“Once the vaccines arrive, they can be brought to the National Capital Region or other areas. Our vaccination teams are prepared to administer them to our troops,” he said.
He said the policemen were vaccinated in the towns and cities where they reside.
For the police personnel under the A4 priority group, Eleazar said they welcome offers from local government units.
“If our local government units, just like what they have been doing, will offer vaccines to our police personnel anywhere in the country, we will grab it. We will have ourselves vaccinated because we are now authorized (to get the vaccine) being under the A4 category,” he said.
The PNP chief clarified that the police would not ask for vaccines from the LGUs. “But if they are offered to us, we will take them. But we will not get ahead of the A1, A2, and A3 who are not yet vaccinated,” he said.
As of June 20, a total of 26,729 police personnel have contracted COVID-19, of which 1,843 are active cases. The PNP death toll from COVID-19 is 71.