Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Wednesday said Malacañang and the Department of Justice (DOJ) should not allow Public Attorneys Office (PAO) Chief Persida Acosta to report to work for her continued refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Drilon said he finds it unacceptable that while the government is persuading people to get their COVID-19 shots, Acosta remains unvaccinated.

“Hindi ba sampal iyon sa gobyerno (Isn’t that a slap on the government)?” Drilon said in a statement.

“I hope it is not deliberate but Acosta’s recent statements can fuel vaccine hesitancy that we are trying to address,” Drilon noted.

Drilon said the number of Filipinos unwilling to get vaccinated remains a cause of concern.

“One of them, unfortunately, is a member of the administration. Acosta can make a good case study for the government. If you can convince Acosta to get vaccinated, then the government has a better chance of persuading every Juan dela Cruz to get vaccinated,” Drilon said.

“But until she gets vaccinated, she should be barred from reporting to work” he stressed.

The Senate minority chief said the government would be accused of double standards if it allows Acosta to report to work while it is restricting the movement of unvaxxed ordinary Filipinos.

“If the government is serious about its ‘no vax, stay at home; no vax, no ride policy,’ it should apply it to all. Otherwise it will not work,” Drilon said.

“The government should take the same hardline stance against their own officials. Set an example with Acosta,” he stressed, adding that barring the PAO chief from reporting to work would be consistent with the President’s pronouncements that he will restrict the movement of unvaccinated individuals “for the common good.”

Drilon also reiterated it is well within the power of the State to restrict the movement of unvaccinated individuals.

“It is a valid and reasonable exercise of police power to promote the health, safety, and general welfare of the people. The general welfare clause also provides sufficient authority to the State to implement measures for the ‘maintenance of peace and order, the protection of life, liberty, and property, and promotion of the general welfare,’” the senator said.

“The State may also interfere with personal liberty to promote the general welfare as long as the interference is reasonable and not arbitrary,” the veteran lawmaker added.