PRESIDENT RODRIGO Duterte seems confused over the slow deployment of Covid-19 vaccines and at one point even threatened the mayors, saying he will hold them accountable for any failure in the government’s mass vaccination program.
“Hindi ko malaman kung saan talaga nagkakamali, kung may mali, bakit mahina ang paglabas ng bakuna, dito sa national medyo okay. Ang problema pagdating doon sa provincial, regional level, doon nagkakaroon ng medyo problema. So that even in the matter of deploying them to the proper sites eh mahina. So sabi ko gamitin na lang ang mga air assets ng PNP pati AFP. Pagdating doon sa pag-deliver doon sa eroplano, tapos pagdating doon ‘yung TOG (Tactical Operations Group of the Philippine Air Force), ‘yung mga helicopter nandiyan, sa ano will take over. Sila na ang maghatid doon sa mga municipal governments,” he said.
Duterte also asked whether the local governments
have enough vaccinators to carry out the mass vaccination program which has
been going on since last year.
“Ang problema nito kung pagdating doon mayroon
bang sufficient number of people who can do the task of injecting kasi kung ito
ang --- if we adopt this program, ma-deliver kaagad namin (ang mga vaccines),”
he said.
“I have also ordered (Interior) Secretary
(Eduardo) Año to impose the necessary sanction against LGUs and local chief
executives who are not performing nor using the doses given to them in a most
expeditious manner. I will hold each and every LGU accountable for this,” he
added.
However, the problem is not the local
governments, but the unequal distribution of vaccines in the country,
especially in Mindanao. The bulk of the vaccines go to Duterte’s hometown Davao
City and neighboring Davao region; and Cebu in the Visayas and the National
Capital Region, and
Calabarzon
which are all vote-rich areas.
Responding to Duterte’s order, Año said he will
meet with governors, mayors, as well as with the regional directors of the
Department of Health, the Philippine National Police and the Bureau of Fire to
ask them to intensify their vaccination initiatives. “Ating tinatawagan ang mga
LGUs na dapat ay doblehin pa ang kanilang outputs sa pagbabakuna at dapat ay
walang masasayang na kahit isang bakuna. At katulad din po ng iyong sinabi ay
titingnan po natin ito kung dapat magkaroon ng imbestigasyon sa mga mababagal
sa pagpapatupad ng bakuna at makapagbigay po tayo ng kaukulang sanctions sa mga
magkakaroon ng pagkukulang,” he said. (Mindanao Examiner)