Presidential spokesman Harry Roque assured on Tuesday, April 13, that President Duterte would still get vaccinated against COVID-19 when the government shall have secured enough vaccine supply for citizens.

Roque said Duterte’s sentiments of not getting his COVID-19 jab for now means he wants to let other people get their vaccines first. 

“So, I hope that will change po dahil parating naman po ‘yung mas maraming supply lalo na sa mga buwan ng Mayo at Hunyo (because the larger supply of the vaccine is coming in the months of May and June),” he said during his virtual presser after the President remarked last night that he will waive his vaccination slot. 

https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/13/duterte-willing-to-waive-covid-19-vaccine-slot/

This is a non-issue, the Palace official added, since there is not enough supply of vaccines for now for the President to boost public confidence in getting inoculated. 

With high trust and approval ratings, the President has been considered by his critics as the rightful person to boost public confidence on the vaccine. 

“Importante naman po talaga ang vaccine confidence pero nakikita po natin ngayon dahil limitado din ang ating supply, hindi po problema ngayon ang vaccine confidence (Vaccine confidence is really important but we can see now that the vaccine supply is limited, vaccine confidence is not a problem),” Roque said. 

The spokesman cited reports of Duterte already being vaccinated against COVID-19 in private was just “speculation.”

“Well, hanggang speculation lang po iyan (that’s just speculation),” Roque said when asked by the media about the matter.

Duterte has been open about his preference for Chinese vaccine Sinopharm than the other vaccines available in the country. He said in the past that he wants to get the Sinopharm vaccines for himself, his family, and some Cabinet members. 

"Ako, mag-waive ako, kung sino gusto ng slot ko, waive ko.... I've actually been, 'Kung panahon ko na, either it's COVID, or bala, or whatever disgrasya, wala ako masyadong illusions about life or death (Me, I'll waive it, to whoever wants my slot.... I've actually been, ‘If it's my time, either because of COVID, or bullets, or whatever tragedy, I have no illusions about life or death’),” the President said during a televised meeting with his Cabinet on Monday night. 

He also mistakenly thought that senior citizens were not on the government’s prioritization list. Senior citizens like him are the second on the priority list. The first priority is health care workers. 

Roque explained that what Duterte meant was that he wants to give up his slot because it is more important for others to get vaccinated first