Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Chief Persida V. Rueda Acosta said on Friday, Jan. 21, that President Duterte granted her “the permission not to get vaccinated yet” against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
In a radio interview, Acosta said:
“At sa totoo lang nakipag-usap po ako noong March or May kay Presidente. Nagpaalam po ako hindi po muna ako magpapabakuna (In truth, I talked with President Duterte last March or May and I asked permission not to get vaccinated yet).”
Acosta responded to accusations made by Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon that her continued refusal to get vaccinated is a slap to the government’s efforts to get everyone vaccinated against COVID-19.
“Kailan man hindi ko sinampal ang gobyerno (Never have I slapped the government),” said Acosta who reminded she would not have lasted as PAO chief for two decades if she had done so.
Instead of “attacking” her, Acosta told Drilon to look into Republic Act No. 11525, the law on COVID-19 Vaccination Program of 2021.
She pointed out that the law states that vaccination cards are not mandatory and it also admits that vaccines are experimental and not assurance that no one will get infected with COVID-19.
Thus, she said, the law states that “walang liability ang pharma at DOH kung may mamatay at magka-serious adverse effect (pharmaceutical companies making the vaccines and the Department of Health have no liability in the event vaccinees die or experience serious adverse effects.”
On her confession that she has not been vaccinated, Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said he immediately reminded Acosta to follow government workplace regulations concerning COVID-19 which require that “personnel reporting for onsite work should be vaccinated” and “If unvaccinated but must report for onsite work, the requirement is to at least undergo RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) or antigen testing once every two weeks.”
“Matagal na po kami sumusunod (We have long been following government regulations),” Acosta assured.
She reiterated that she is not against vaccination and that she would have herself vaccinated once protein-based vaccine is available as advised by her physicians.
She turned down the advice of Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III that she should get vaccinated.
“Gusto na ako ma-dead ni Dr. Duque e hindi naman niya pag-aari itong katawan ko. Thank you po sa advice ninyo. Kasi ang lakas ni Dr. Duque magturok sa may mga comorbidities sapagkat wala silang liability. Immune from suit sila sa ginagawa nilang experinmental COVID vaccination (I think Dr. Duque wants me dead when he doesn’t even own my body. Thank you for the advice Dr. Duque. Duque has the gall to keep getting persons with comorbidities vaccinated. They are immune from suit in their experimental vaccination),” she said.
Meanwhile, Acosta believes that the government should conduct a massive information drive to tell the public the benefits and risks of getting vaccinated.
“Vaccination is voluntary, it should not be compulsory,” she stressed.