Bong Go reminds authorities to adhere to the agreed vaccine priority list; says complaints will be filed with Ombudsman against erring officials

While he understands their intention of encouraging their constituents to get vaccinated, Senator Christopher "Bong" Go reminded local chief executives to strictly adhere to the government's vaccine priority list of groups and sectors who should receive the vaccines first against COVID-19.

In a radio interview on Thursday, March 25, Go said that the general public must understand that medical frontliners should be the first to get the vaccines as they are at the forefront in the country's fight against the dreaded COVID-19 disease.

"Mayroon na pong inaprubahan ang mahal na Pangulo na sinusunod na priority list. Ito po'y base sa rekomendasyon ng National Immunization Technical Advisory Group as well as the World Health Organization," explained Go.

"Alam n'yo po, dapat unahin muna natin 'yung mga 1.7 million na mga frontliners nationwide. Dahil sila po ang isinasabak natin dito sa giyerang ito, dapat sila ang unahin natin at 'yung armasan natin para maproteksyunan ang kanilang sarili gamit ang bakuna habang nilalabanan ang COVID-19 at ginagampanan ang kanilang tungkulin na mailigtas ang buhay ng mga may sakit," he added.

The Senator shared that President Rodrigo Duterte was appalled by the actions of so-called "jumpers" or those individuals who cut the line in the vaccination program ahead of medical frontliners, prompting him to ask the Department of Interior and Local Government and the Department of Health to investigate the incidents.

"Hindi po katanggap-tanggap na may makikita tayo nagpo-post pa po sa Facebook na nakikita na tapos na po silang nabakunahan," he said.

"Insulto po 'yon sa ating health workers na hindi pa po nababakunahan na gusto pong magpabakuna. Nakikita nila na may nagpapaka-VIP," he added.

Go said that he and President Duterte will not hesitate in recommending the filing of complaints against erring local chief executives.

"Kaya po galit rin po ang Pangulo kagabi at inatasan na po ang DILG at DOH na tingnan rin po kaagad ito at 'yung mga dapat makasuhan ay ipasa po sa Ombudsman. Nabanggit po ito ng Pangulo, 'yung mga opisyales," he shared.

"Alam niyo, dapat sumunod muna tayo sa priority list dito. Darating naman po ang punto na hanggang sa baba naman po 'yan ay mababakunahan. So ngayon, uunahin muna 'yung mga health workers, pagkatapos naman po ay 'yung mga senior citizens," he added.

Meanwhile, Go mentioned that once the 1.7 million medical frontliners in the country have been inoculated, senior citizens and poor and indigent Filipinos who need to leave their houses for work will be vaccinated next.

"Sila nga po 'yung kinulong natin, hindi nakakalabas 'yung matatanda, iikli na po ang kanilang pagkakataon na maranasan po ang sarap ng buhay, eh, iyon pa ang ipagkakait natin sa kanila. Kaya nga po dapat ring mabakunahan sila," he said.

Go assured that these sectors will be inoculated with the safest and most appropriate vaccine for their respective demographics.

"Pagkatapos ito naman pong indigents. Pati 'yung mga essential workers," he added.

Go said that the primordial concern at this time is how to beat the virus. In this regard, Go repeated his appeal to everyone to support the National Vaccine Program and follow the government's vaccination priority list.

"So sana po'y sumunod muna tayo sa ating listahan po na inaprubahan po ng gobyerno po at walang magpapa-VIP. VIP po dahil pare-pareho naman tayong gustong magpabakuna," he ended.

In a privilege speech last Wednesday, March 24, Go said that it has come to his attention that some people, who are not health frontliners, were allegedly inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccines that the country currently has.

"Kaya sa aking privilege speech sa Senado noong Miyerkules, sinabihan ko ang National Task Force na maging transparent sa kanilang vaccine rollout. Full disclosure dapat. Kung sinunod ng ating mga opisyal ang order of priority at walang pabor-pabor na nangyari, wala kayong dapat ikatakot," he said.

"Pero kung mapatunayan ang mga balitang mayroong nanlalamang, nangunguna, o nananamantala ng pribilehiyong hindi naman dapat kanila, at hinayaan itong mangyari ng mga dapat magsigurong maayos ang ating vaccine rollout, kailangang may managot," he added.

Go called out individuals who are allegedly involved in VIP vaccinations in some local government units, urging them to follow the priority list in order not to jeopardize success of the vaccine program.

"Sa mga nagpapaka-VIP diyan, alalahanin niyo na nagpapakamatay ang ating mga doktor, nurses at health workers para isalba ang buhay ng ating mga kababayang nagkakasakit," he said.

"Ang frontliners ang pinaka may kailangan ng proteksyon at sandata laban sa sakit para magampanan nila ang tungkulin nila. Kung aagawan niyo sila ng bakuna, para niyo na ring inagawan ng buhay ang kapwa niyong Pilipino," he added.