Malacañang has absolved the spokesperson of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for skipping the priority list of the government's free vaccination program that is supposed to be intended currently for medical frontliners and healthcare workers.
Ironically, it was the DILG which has been very vocal against mayors who committed exactly the same offense, to the point that it even issued a show-cause order to at least five local chief executives for receiving COVID-19 vaccines ahead of the medical frontliners and other people in the priority list.
In absolving DILG undersecretary and spokesman Jonathan Malaya, Malacañang appeared to have been convinced by his explanation that he thought he was qualified because he is an 'influencer' at a time when the public is doubtful in getting the vaccines for COVID-19).
In the latest survey, six in every 10 Filipinos said they do not want to be vaccinated.
DILG Undersecretary for operations Epimaco Densing III said that Malaya acted in good faith when he allowed himself to be vaccinated although he is not included in the priority list.
The reason given by Malaya to Malacañang is apparently the same reason of the mayors whom Densing chided in his past interviews for not following the vaccination protocol.
“Yun pala ang pinayagan lang ni pangulo ay si Secretary Galvez, Secretary Vince Dizon at (MMDA) Chairman Benhur Abalos (It came out that those only allowed (to be vaccinated against COVID-19) were Secretary (Carlito) Galvez, Secretary Vince Dizon and (MMDA) chairman Benhur Abalos," said Densing.
Densing also lashed out at Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez after actor Mark Anthony Fernandez was inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine despite not being in the priority list on March 23 and accused the local chief executive for supposedly making up stories that the actor was in the substitute list for being a person with comorbidity.