An official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) was furious after learning that actor Mark Anthony Fernandez got a free AstraZenca vaccine from the Parañaque City government at a time when the national government is still scrambling to inoculate medical frontliners who are supposed to be in the priority list.
"Kaninang umaga pikon na pikon ako dahil sa Parañaque, may artista na binakunahan, yung Mark Anthony Fernandez (This morning, I was really pissed off because in Parañaque, an actor was vaccinated, this Mark Anthony Fernandez)," said DILG Undersecretary for Operations Epimaco Densing III in an interview over dzBB.
"Meron tayong priority list na dapat ini-implement, may programa na sinusunod diyan so yung mayor dapat sinusunod ang programa (We have a priority list that should be implemented. we have a program and the mayor should have just followed that program)," he added.
The vaccination of Fernandez was posted in a news website wherein he narrated what he experienced after before, during and after the vaccination. He said he did not feel any side effects.
Fernandez was also quoted encouraging the people not to be afraid of the vaccine and be inoculated when opportunity comes.
But Fernandez apparently forgot that not most of the Filipinos do not have the same privilege that he had on coronavirus vaccination due to the shortage of supply after the national government failed to procure it on time and due to the existence of a priority list.
"It is the healthcare workers who should be vaccinated first, that guidance came from the World Health Organization itself because they are on the frontline of fighting this virus. We have protocols to be followed," said Densing.
The vaccination of Fernandez, according to Densing, is a manifestation of poor implementation of the protocol on vaccination on the part of the local government of Parañaque City.