Malacañang said local chief executives could be liable for dereliction of duty if they cannot ensure that minimum health standards such as physical distancing are observed in vaccination sites.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque made the statement after people flocked to different vaccination sites in Metro Manila in fear that they may not receive the promised cash aid during the two-week enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
In his press briefing on Thursday, August 5, Roque appealed to local government units (LGUs) to make their vaccination efforts against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) efficient and humane to avoid making the inoculation a superspreader event.
"Dapat, unang-una, kinokontrol po talaga ang crowd; pangalawa, kinakailangang makatao po. (First of all, there should be crowd control; second, it should be humane)," he said.
"Obligasyon po ng mga lokal na pamahalaan na iwasan na maging superspreader event ang ating mga bakunahan. Dapat maging makatao at yung overcrowding po, hindi makatao 'yan (It is the LGUs' obligation to prevent the vaccination from being a superspreader event. It should be humane and overcrowding is not being humane)," he added.
According to Roque, the government has enough resources to ensure that minimum health standards are followed and that failure to do so had consequences.
"Sapat po yung ating resources para magpatupad ng minimum health standards at ang hindi po pagpapatupad niyan ay isang klase ng dereliction of duty ng ating mga lokal na opisyales (We have enough resources to implement minimum health standards and failure to do so is a form of dereliction of duty for our local officials)," he said.
"Kailangan mapatupad ang minimum health standards. Otherwise, ang ating bakunahan na ang objective ay makasalba ng buhay, baka 'yan pa ang maging dahilan ng pagkakasakit at kamatayan (We have to implemnet minimum health standards, Otherwise, our vaccination that aimed to save lives, may cause sickness and even death)," he added.
Photos of people flocking to different vaccination sites in Metro Manila, particularly in the cities of Manila and Las Piñas, circulated on social media with some lining up Thursday dawn, the day before the region shifted to ECQ.
Manila Public Information chief Julius Leonen wrote in a Facebook post that people flocked to the vaccination sites after hearing reports that they will not be allowed to leave their homes during the ECQ if they were not vaccinated.