As far as the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) is concerned, celebrity couple Aga Muhlach and Charlene Gonzales-Muhlach, along with their two children are qualified beneficiaries of their local government unit's (LGU) vaccination program against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Specifically, the Muntinlupa City government reported that the Muhlachs qualify for inoculation against COVID-19 under the protocols set by the Department of Health (DOH).
DILG Undersecretary and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya issued this clarification amid speculations that the Muhlach family were given preferential consideration owing to their celebrity status.
“They are bona-fide residents of Muntinlupa City. They enrolled at the MUNCOVAC registration portal under A3 category,’’ Malaya said.
Most importantly, Malaya noted that the Muhlachs submitted medical certificates/clearances from their attending physician at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center to prove that they have comorbidities. The A3 priority group covers persons with comorbidities.
He added that the Muntinlupa City Health Office had verified the medical certificate with the hospital.
The DILG official said that the documents regarding the Muhlachs' vaccination were also submitted to the department.
“Therefore, the department sees no violation of DOH or IATF’s (Inter-Agency Task Force) regulations in the aforementioned vaccination,’’ Malaya said. (Chito A. Chavez)