DAVAO CITY—Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has ordered all city government employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and be spared from any sanction.
Duterte-Carpio made vaccination mandatory for City Hall workers regardless of their employment status in Executive Order No. 45 she signed on Sept. 15.
Only those who face risks for possible adverse effects from the vaccine are exempted from the mandatory vaccination. The decision to exempt them will have to come from the local government’s vaccination cluster head.
The exemption must be based on a “medical reason that is listed as a contraindication in all the available vaccines.”
“No other reason for exemption shall be allowed,” Duterte-Carpio’s order read.
The human resource and management office (HRMO) is tasked to implement the mandatory vaccination.
Suspension, dismissal
Under the order, those who will refuse to get inoculated by Nov. 30 will face suspension of up to six months for the first refusal, and dismissal from the service for the second refusal.
Earlier, Duterte-Carpio warned that regular employees who will defy the order will be liable for insubordination.
In compliance with the order, administrative officers of every city government department will submit to the HRMO the list of personnel covered by the mandatory vaccination program and those who are not yet vaccinated will be required to submit an explanation.
Duterte-Carpio said the policy was necessary to help arrest the spread of the virus even as Republic Act No. 11525, or the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021, has not made inoculation mandatory. The national law states that vaccination cards “shall not be considered an additional mandatory requirement for educational, employment and other similar government transaction purposes.”
The Department of Labor and Employment has also reminded private sector employers that “no vaccine, no work” policies are prohibited. —CARMELITO Q. FRANCISCO