President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday several mayors were asked to explain why they jumped the priority line and got vaccinated for COVID-19. He also asked authorities to look into the vaccination of an actor's son.
The Department of Interior and Local Government served show cause orders on at least nine mayors, the President said, reading out their names during his second public address this week.
One of the mayors is Alfred Romualdez of Leyte, a nephew of Duterte's ally, former First Lady Imelda Marcos. Duterte said some of the mayors said they got the jabs to ease their constitutents' fears. This, he said, is a "gray area."
Duterte also asked the DOH to look into the vaccination of an actor's son in Paranaque City, whom he did not name. Reports identified the recipient as former matinee idol Mark Anthony Fernandez.
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The Philippines prioritizes the innoculation of health frontliners with the over one million doses it secured so far, all donations from China and the global vaccine alliance COVAX.
Health Sec. Francisco Duque said 508,332 people have been given the first of two doses that need to be spaced 28 days apart.
