The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) ordered 5 mayors, who vaccinated against COVID-19, to explain why they were inoculated despite the government’s order to prioritize health workers.
The DILG identified the mayors as Alfredo Romualdez of Tacloban City; Dibu Tuan of T’boli, South Cotabato; Sulpicio Villalobos of Santo Niño, South Cotabato; Noel Rosal of Legazpi City; and Abraham Ibba of Bataraza, Palawan.
The mayors were given 3 days to explain.
“Na-verify namin na totoo at ito ang naging basehan namin para sila ay padalhan ng show cause orders para magpaliwanag kung bakit sila nauna at hindi nila nasunod ang priority listing,” said DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III.
Romualdez, on the other hand, defended the vaccination, which he said he did to allay the fears of the frontliners.
Romualdez said he does not want the vaccines to be returned to the National Capital Region, especially since the number of cases is on the rise in their area.
The mayor mentioned that after he was vaccinated, from 350, 790 were vaccinated.
Rosal explained that he did not volunteer to be vaccinated.
5 mayors vaccinated against COVID-19 asked to explain
It was Department of Health-Bicol regional director Ernie Vera who encouraged him.
According to Rosal, he is ready to answer the show-cause order of the DILG but the document has not yet reached him.
Apart from those on the DILG list, other mayors have already been vaccinated.
This includes Minglanilla, Cebu Mayor Elanito Peña, who said he can be considered a frontliner and he just wants to encourage residents to get vaccinated.
According to Peña, he asked for permission from the rural health unit before getting vaccinated.
Escalante City Melecio “Beboy” Yap has not yet received a show-cause order but he is ready to answer it.
In Parañaque City, the local government confirmed that actor Mark Anthony Fernandez was vaccinated there.
The city health office explained that there are no more health workers coming to get vaccinated so they took the quick substitution list, where there are the names of those who qualify in the next priority group such as senior citizens and those with comorbidity.
Fernandez is said to belong to the group with comorbidity.