MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte appealed to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) to allow the safe transport of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines to the far-flung areas once they become available.
“The Communist Party of the Philippines must guarantee that the vaccines, in the course of being transported to areas where there are no city health officers and medical persons, na wag ninyong galawin ang medisina,” Duterte said on Monday.
Amid reports of communist rebels disrupting the transport of government aid in rural areas in several incidents, the president told the CPP to observe the “rules of humanity” and allow the vaccines to be transported freely and safely because that is for the Filipino people.
The President has called on government agencies, especially the Bureau of Customs to not hinder the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines.
“To every government worker, lahat tayo do not delay and do not hinder or obstruct the smooth flow na nakikita niyo ngayon, from the time of arrival to the time of clearance,” said Duterte
“Ang trabaho lang ninyo, Customs, is magtingin. You have no business na buksan buksan ‘yan diyan. You’re not allowed to do that. I’m not allowing anybody diyan sa airport na magbukas-bukas,” he added.
Duterte also urged the Philippine National Police (PNP) to secure the transport and safety of the vaccines.
“The PNP should provide escorts to ensure the fastest way the vaccines will arrive. Even on the matter of transporting from one facility to another, the police should provide that kind of mobility,” he said.
The country is aiming to start the vaccination drive for frontline healthcare workers on Feb. 15, as the government aims to inoculate the sector’s 1.4 million individuals in a month.
Around 117,000 doses of the incoming initial batch of vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech will cover workers included in the initial master list from hospitals across the country that will receive the first batch./PN
