Punishment awaits military personnel who will refuse to be vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has bared.
Major Gen. Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesperson, said it is part of their duty to be vaccinated against COVID-19 since soldiers are considered as frontliners who come face-to-face with different people everyday. He said vaccination is a means to prevent soldiers from becoming carriers of the virus.
"We are an organization under military regulation so adherence to the existing legal orders from our superiors, just like this one coming from the Chief of Staff no less, will be dealt with disciplinary actions if they refuse to do it," Arevalo said.
"But we hope that we will not reach that point," he added.
Arevalo said military personnel may face a case for violation of Articles of War 105 which lists the disciplinary powers of a commanding officer. It states that the commanding officer of any military unit may impose disciplinary puishments upon persons of his command for minor offenses without the intervention of a court martial.
Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, AFP Chief of Staff, has instructed the 120,000-strong AFP personnel all over the country to have themselves inoculated using CoronaVac, which was made by Chinese pharmaceutical firm, Sinovac Biotech Ltd.
Around 600,000 doses of Sinovac vaccines that were donated by the Chinese government will arrive at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on Sunday afternoon, February 28, via a military aircraft.
The Sinovac jabs are considered the first batch of vaccines to be delivered to the country since the COVID-19 lockdowns were announced by President Duterte in March 2020.
Of the 600,000 doses of vaccine donations, about 500,000 doses will go directly to the national government while 100,000 doses will be alloted to the Department of National Defense (DND).
Military personnel who opt to get a different brand of vaccine may do so but they will have to pay for their own vaccination with their preferred brand, Arevalo said.