Duterte agrees to get COVID-19 jab in public

BY ARGYLL GEDUCOS

President Duterte finally agreed to get COVID-19 vaccine shots in public to help boost the public’s confidence in the vaccination program of the government, Malacañang said.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque made the announcement as the Philippines await the arrival of the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines sometime this month.

In his Monday presser, Roque urged the public to just wait for the President’s announcement about the schedule of his vaccination.

“I think the President has said that he will now have himself vaccinated publicly. He only has to announce when it will be done,” he said.

“The President has said, ‘Okay, if you want me to and there’s public clamor…’ he said he will,” he added.

According to Roque, Duterte made the decision to ease the public’s apprehension about getting vaccinated.

“That (President Duterte’s decision) is, of course, in recognition of the fact na nag-aantay ng senyales ang taumbayan kung talagang sila ay magpapabakuna o hindi,” he said.

“Ninanais po ni Presidente na lahat ng mga Pilipino ay magkaroon ng kompyansa na magpabakuna dahil ang bakuna po ang solusyon dito sa pandemya ng COVID-19,” he added.

Meanwhile, Roque said that some government officials have expressed willingness to be among the first people to get the vaccine jab to boost the public’s confidence.

However, he appealed to the administration’s critics to not make a big deal out of the said gesture because the government officials only want to help.

“I think that is a policy that we will now pursue… Yung ibang mga public officials should volunteer and they have, in fact, volunteered. LGU mayors have said that they will volunteer to be the first in line for the vaccination,” Roque said.