Concerned government personnel must not cause any delay in the transport and distribution of the vaccines to the people.
President Duterte issued the stern warning during his television address Monday night.
Duterte had earlier promised the swift and orderly distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines to the people, initially to the country's medical frontliners, seniors, poor citizens, and essential workforce. The county's first shipment of the coronavirus vaccines is expected to arrive next week.
"Let me address to every government worker, lahat tayo, do not delay and do not hinder or obstruct the smooth flow na nakikita ninyo, from the time of the arrival to the time of clearance," Duterte said, referring to the vaccine supplies.
"Maybe ang trabaho lang ninyo Customs, magtingin (Maybe the work of customs is just look) You have no business na buksan-buksan dyan (to open the package). You're not allowed to do that. I am not allowing you, anybody diyan sa airpot na magbukas bukas (anybody in the airport to open them)," he added.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the government is targeting that COVID-19 vaccines will clear Customs in 30 minutes.
“What we have done today is subject to review. How the conduct of the loading, transport, unloading, receiving, inspection. We have a target. Customs clearance 30 minutes. Unloading 15 minutes. Transport 20 minutes. Receiving and inspection 15 minutes… allocated time of 120 minutes. Hopefully, this will be cut by half, 60 minutes,” he said.
The President, on the other hand, authorized the deployment of police personnel to ensure the safe transport of vaccine supplies across the country. He said vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. could tap these police escorts to find the “fastest” route for the vaccine distribution.
"The PNP (Philippine National Police) should provide escorts that would ensure the fastest way of, for the vaccines to arrive in their storage at saka 'yung even in the matter of transporting from one facility to the other. Ihatid doon sa mga local governments. The police will provide that kind of mobility," he said.
"Yung mga hagad will provide the fastest way of doing it," he added.
Duterte reminded other government personnel to know their responsibilities in the vaccine rollout, but not interfere with affairs of the task force. He said Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III will "call the shots" to ensure the smooth distribution of the vaccines to the people.
President Duterte also appealed to the Communist Party of the Philip-
pines (CPP) to “observe the rule of humanity” and not cause any problem
during the transport of the vaccines to far-flung areas.
While the CPP assured the unhampered delivery of COVD-19 vaccines, party spokesman Marco Valbuena suggested that the delivery in far-flung areas be handled by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Philippine Red Cross and other civilian humanitarian agencies.
“We strongly suggest that COVID-19 vaccines not be transported in AFP military vehicles, especially those which are not properly marked and carrying armed soldiers… Non-Red cross vehicles that will be used as COVID-19 vaccine transporters must be clearly and properly marked with a red cross over white background,” said the CPP in a statement. (With reports from Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos, Aaron B. Recuenco, and Leslie Ann G. Aquino)