MANILA, Philippines—A total of 30,000 vaccines have been allocated to persons deprived of liberty (PDL) at the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Thursday.
He said the vaccines would be delivered to the seven penal colonies under BuCor, including the New Bilibid Prison.
“At least 30,000 vaccine doses have been allocated for PDLs under BuCor’s jurisdiction. These vaccines will be farmed out to the various prison facilities of the BuCor for administration,” he said.
The vaccines have been allocated to BuCor following Guevarra’s request to vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.
In his letter, Guevarra asked that the PDL’s be included in the “Bayanihan Bakuhahan” program of the government.
Guevarra said the PDLs, most of which are elderly and sickly are forced to live in cramped, congested quarters, making them vulnerable to COVID-19.
Galvez, in response, said, “We wholeheartedly agree with the Secretary’s assessment [that] the vaccination of PDLs is vital to prevent virus transmission in an overcrowded environment such as prison facilities.”