By Patrick De Jesus
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary for Operations Epimaco Densing III said they will issue today a show-cause order to Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez, requiring him to explain the vaccination of actor Mark Anthony Fernandez even if he is not a healthcare worker or frontliner.
“Command responsibility niya po ang pagsisigurado na ang ating vaccination plan ay nasunod sa kanyang lokal na gobyerno,” Densing said in the Laging Handa public briefing aired over PTV.
[It is his command responsibility to ensure the implementation of our vaccination plan in his local government.]
“Nakakapikon at nakaka-sama ng loob para sa ating mga kababayan na dapat inuna natin — ‘yung ating frontline healthcare workers,” he added.
[It is provoking and upsetting to our countrymen who should have been given priority – our frontline healthcare workers.]
In his public address last night, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte ordered the Department of Health (DOH) to investigate the vaccination of an actor in Parañaque whose name he did not mention.
The DILG previously issued show-cause orders to five mayors for also jumping ahead of those on the vaccination priority list.
For his part, Olivarez explained that Fernandez is eligible for the “substitution list” in the priority group due to his comorbidities.
“Mayroon tayong substitution list na nilalagay, ‘yun ‘yung nagpupunta doon [sa vaccination site], nagwa-walk-in. Kapag wala nang dumating na frontliner, ipinapalit natin ‘yung nasa substitution list based sa priority ng DOH. Ang priority ng DOH after ng ating frontliners would be senior citizen and persons with comorbidities,” Olivarez explained to PTV News in an interview.
[There is a substitution list for walk-ins. If no frontliners show up, we cater to those on the substitution list based on DOH’s priorities. DOH’s priority after our frontliners would be senior citizens and persons with comorbidities.]
“Si Mark [Anthony] Fernandez naman ay kasama sa priority group kasi mayroon siyang comorbidities, ‘yung hypertension at depression,” the Parañaque mayor added.
[Fernandez is included in the priority group because he has comorbidities — hypertension and depression.]
Olivarez also said they are now 90 to 95% finished inoculating their 3,800 city healthcare workers.
He added that he has no knowledge yet about Usec. Densing’s revelation that a city councilor and a Department of Justice employee have also been vaccinated in Parañaque and jumped the queue.
“Iimbestigahan natin po, mahirap naman nating pangunahan na walang investigation,” he said.
[We will investigate. It’s difficult to anticipate without an investigation.]
The DILG said that they are also verifying reports that at least six other mayors and individuals have been inoculated with COVID-19 vaccine despite not being qualified in accordance with the priority list.
