Palace warns local officials of dereliction charges if vaccination hubs become superspreader events

MANILA, Philippines — Local government officials may face charges of dereliction of duty if they fail to enforce minimum health protocols and allow the conduct of vaccination to become superspreader events, Malacañang warned Thursday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque gave the warning after thousands of people hoping to be inoculated against COVID-19 flocked to various vaccination sites in Metro Manila ahead of the enhanced community quarantine in the region.

“May possibility po talaga magkaroon ng dereliction of duty so kailangan ipatupad po ang minimum health standards,” Roque said when asked if local officials will be held liable for people crowding in vaccination sites.

(There’s a possibility for dereliction of duty so they need to enforce 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,” he added.

(But don’t misconstrue me. You are right for being excited to get vaccinated. What I’m saying is, let’s not turn it into a superspreader event because it defeats the purpose. But you are right to want to be vaccinated.)

Roque also mentioned how President Rodrigo Duterte himself previously stressed it is the local government units’ (LGUs) obligation to ease the process of vaccination.

“Sinabi rin po niya (Duterte) dapat maging makatao at yung overcrowding nga po, hindi makatao yan. Sapat po ang ating resources para magpatupad ng minimum health standards. Ang hindi po magpapatupad niyan, ay isang klase ng dereliction of duty ng ating mga lokal na opisyales,” he added.

(The President also said it should be humane, and overcrowding is not humane. We have enough resources to enforce minimum health standards. Those who will not implement that is a kind of our local officials’ dereliction of duty.)

Duterte previously lamented how residents stand in the rain and wade through knee-high floods while lining up in a vaccination hub in Manila City, urging LGUs to come up with a “more sane” process of inoculation.

EDV