PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has granted the request of Filipino seafarers to get inoculated with the western brand vaccines against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
In his pre-recorded speech aired over state-run PTV-4 on Monday night, Duterte said he did not see anything wrong in allowing seafarers to choose their preferred vaccine as a violation of the 1987 Constitution.
Under Section 1, Article III of the Constitution, “no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall any persons be denied the equal protection of the laws.”
“We are ready to vaccinate them with the western brand. There is no violation of the equal protection of law because… there is no distinction and there is no clear evidence to show that Pfizer, Moderna are superior to Sinovac and Sinopharm. Puro bakuna ‘yan (These are all vaccines). It’s generic,” the President said.
“There is no violation of equal protection clause because this is what the nature of their work requires,” he added.
Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr, has been designated by the President to arrange the vaccination of the local sailors to facilitate their deployment abroad.
Duterte said “to make it simple,” he would ask Galvez to arrange the seafarers’ vaccination either by group or by province.
“They can always maybe tawag lang sila o mag-text sila at i-confirm ng mga doktor doon. Secretary Galvez will give the go-signal na bigyan sila ng US made (They can always, maybe call or text and confirm from the doctors. Secretary Galvez will give the go-signal to give them US-made vaccines),” he said.
The President has urged the public not to be choosy when it comes to Covid-19 vaccine brands.
Duterte even ordered local officials not to announce the brand of vaccines to encourage Filipinos to get inoculated with whatever brand was available.
But in his remarks on Monday, Duterte recognized the concern of the seafarers about their vaccination, which has been made as a condition for their employment abroad.
He explained that the western vaccines would be given to seafarers “not because they are a special breed” who must be inoculated.
“Kailangan mo bigyan dahil (You must give them because) their work requires the vaccination of US-made or western brand,” he added.
The President then reirated that all Covid-19 vaccines were equally safe and effective regardless of where they were manufactured.
“To us there is no distinction, lahat ito (they are all) effective. And as a matter of fact, a lot of countries have used Sinovac…I have not heard of any news or whatever to show that there are complaints about the disparity in the efficacy of these vaccines,” Duterte said.
“Itong (These) US-made [vaccines] cannot be a superior brand than the Chinese and other brands in comparing them with each other. Tsaka ang the best talaga na bakuna, sabi nga nila, yung nandiyan sa harap mo (And the best vaccine is the one that’s in front of you),” he added.
In his privilege speech in the Senate plenary last week, Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go revealed the dilemma confronting seafarers.
Go has appealed to the government to give priority to seafarers and other OFWs once additional western-made vaccines such as Pfizer and Moderna arrive in the country.
According to Go, these workers, who may be required by their employees to be vaccinated, must get inoculated soon so they can resume their livelihood abroad.
A presentation made by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd read by Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. during the meeting, showed that only 25 percent of crew changes have taken place during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The country has, so far, received 8.3 million doses of coronavirus vaccines from Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Sputnik V, and Pfizer.
Over a million people have been fully vaccinated in the country benefiting initially health workers, seniors, and those with comorbidities. The country’s essential workers and indigent population will be next in the vaccination line starting June.
The government has bared plans to inoculate 58 million adult Filipinos to attain herd immunity before the end of the year. Its goal was reportedly revised to attaining “population protection” against the virus through mass vaccination instead.