A total of 42,493 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) have been vaccinated at Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) jails, the Department of the Interior, and Local Government (DILG) confirmed on Sunday (Sept. 26).
According to the latest data released by the DILG, some 27,951 PDLs received their first dose, 7,473 were inoculated with their second shot, and 7,069 received a single dose COVID-19 vaccine.
In a statement, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said they will continue to coordinate with the National Vaccine Operations Center (NVOC) for the allocation of COVID-19 vaccines to PDLs.
Moreso, Año appealed to the local government units (LGUs) to allot the BJMP with enough vaccine supply to avoid the spread of the virus inside the jails.
“Nakikiusap kami sa ating mga LGUs na bigyan ng sapat na alokasyon ang mga PDLs at jail officers. Napaka-delikado na magkaroon ng hawaan sa loob ng mga piitan kaya dapat ay bakunado rin sila,” Año said.
He added, “Our PDLs are not and will never be second-class citizens and they, too, deserve to be protected from the virus.” – Report from Cleizl Pardilla / CF – bny
