FILE PHOTO Davao City Mayor Inday Sarah Duterte during the Hugpong ng Pagbabago campaign rally in Mandaluyong. JOAN BONDOC / PDI
MANILA, Philippines — Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said those who remain unvaccinated should not be discriminated against, a position that is set to go on a collision course with a directive of her father, President Rodrigo Duterte to enforce sanctions against those who have not received coronavirus vaccines.
“The government did not make it mandatory—ang vaccination… Therefore people were given a choice kung magpabukuna sila or hindi. Itong mga pumili na na hindi magpabakuna, they should not be discriminated,” Duterte-Carpio said in an interview over Davao City Disaster Radio on Monday.
(The government did not make vaccination mandatory… Therefore people were given a choice to get vaccinated or not. Those who chose not to get vaccinated should not be discriminated against.)
“I am pro-vaccination and boosters but in this case, I cannot agree with the exclusion or restriction of unvaccinated… they were given the freedom to choose,” she added.
The mayor said she will leave it up to business owners and heads of government offices in the city to decide whether or not to restrict the entry of unvaccinated individuals.
The President earlier directed barangay captains to identify unvaccinated people in their communities and restrain them from going out of their residences.
The elder Duterte issued the order after Metro Manila mayors agreed to pass ordinances requiring unvaccinated residents to stay home unless going out for essential goods and services or reporting for work.
Several local governments outside the nation’s capital are also imposing restrictions on unvaccinated individuals.
So far, over 52.3 million individuals have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in the country.
The government is eyeing to vaccinate a target population of 90 million Filipinos before the end of June 2022.