Score one for the anti-vaxxers.
That's how Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin described on Tuesday, Aug. 30 the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd)'s announcement would no longer require students and personnel of higher education institutions (HEI) to be vaccinated against Covid-19 ahead of the start of face-to-face classes.
"I think CHEd's announcement is the success of anti-vaxxers," Garin said during the Ugnayan news forum at the House of Representatives.
"The anti-vaccine group is a very strong lobby group that are also well-organized. So palagi yan silang kumukontra kasi yan ang kanilang paniniwala (So they always oppose vaccinations because that's there belief)," admitted Garin, who is a former Department of Health (DOH) secretary.
"Kapag ikaw naman eh magpadala doon, syempre medyo matakot ka kasi (If you get affected by that, you''ll get intimidated because) you'll be threatened with cases, then nandudun na ngayon yung nahahati yung iyong (then you'll be conflicted between your) desire to protect our people versus protecting yourself," she noted.
At any rate, Garin, who belongs to the House majority bloc in the 19th Congress, says the situation warrants for President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to step in.
"Ang pananaw ko (My view is), it's now the President’s call. Because only the President can make sure that when people in government do their job, they will be protected."
"I think the bigger risk there is for the professors and the employees of the state universities and even colleges and universities," the lady solon said. She said these people most likely 35 years old and above, with some of them maybe reaching up to 60 years old.
"Halos karamihan dyan mayroon ng (Most of them already have) maintenance medication, which makes them prone to Covid complications," Garin said.
The Visayas lawmaker said that "finger-pointing" could also become a consequence of the DHEd directive.
"Dagdag pa dyan, baka magkaroon ng, alam mo yun, sisihan (Moreover, there might be, you know, finger-pointing). I believe it's a matter that should really be discussed thoroughly by government.
"Because when there's a fight between pro-vaccine and anti-vaccine, kailangan na kailangan na pumagitna ang gobyerno at tignan kung ano ba ang nararapat para sa sambayanang Pilipino (the government must really intervene and determine what is really appropriate for the Filipino nation)," Garin said.