‘He’s a priority:’ Parañaque mayor defends Mark Anthony Fernandez’s early vax

MANILA, Philippines –Actor Mark Anthony Fernandez has comorbidities that qualified him to be prioritized in the government’s COVID-19 vaccination list, Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez said Wednesday, following reports that he had been immunized despite not being a healthcare worker.

Olivarez, also the concurrent head of the Metro Manila Council, told INQUIRER.net in a text message that Fernandez was eligible because the local government had already finished vaccinating all of its healthcare staff.

“Parañaque already [finished] vaccinating medical frontliners, [the] next priority group are senior citizens and person with [comorbidities],” he said.

“As per our medical team, Mark Anthony [has] comorbidities,” he added.

When asked about Fernandez’s comorbidities, Olivarez revealed that the actor suffers from hypertension and depression.

This comes on the heels of reports that Fernandez received his first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Parañaque City.

According to the country’s vaccination priority groups, frontline healthcare workers are the first to be immunized against COVID-19, followed by senior citizens and people with comorbidities.

READ: LIST: Priority groups for government’s Covid-19 vaccination program

After learning of the actor’s vaccination, Interior Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III blasted the Parañaque local government unit for allowing the actor to be immunized.

READ: ‘Pikon na pikon ako:’ DILG exec irked as Mark Anthony Fernandez vaccinated early

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