Senator Koko Pimentel took the liberty to defend local officials this Friday as part of the priority list designated for health care workers and other priority groups.
According to Pimentel, governors, mayors, and barangay officials are also frontliners as they “represent the government” in fighting Covid-19.
“They are helping fight this health crisis. We should give them some importance, prioritization, and some elbow room to use their imagination in this fight against the pandemic,” said Pimentel.
With Pimentel insisting to consider government officials as important as healthcare workers, several celebrities, personalities, and netizens were enraged by the senator’s suggestion.
Pia Magalona cannot believe that Pimentel considers local officials as important pieces of the pandemic response of the government. This was after the senator insisted that these executives are the ones thinking of solutions to combat the pandemic.
Are you serious?!! https://t.co/GcDxVFWWLs
— Pia Magalona ⁷ (@piamagalona) March 26, 2021
A Twitter personality, Ryan, criticized Pimentel for considering politicians as health frontliners. the personality recalled that the senator violated health protocols last year.
Pimentel got involved in a huge scandal after he and his wife while being admitted to Makati Medical Center, did not disclose that they were both positive for the coronavirus.
Moreover, prior to his coronavirus test last year, Pimentel attended birthday parties and a meeting.
Says the man who violated health protocols. So yeah, you are really credible when it comes to these things- calling politicians in LGUs “health frontliners”. https://t.co/0v3CDM0I9d
— Ryan (@rryyyaaaannnn) March 26, 2021
Another Twitter personality lambasted the senator for his use of imagination. The netizen scorned Pimentel for arguing that the local officials are using their imagination to combat the pandemic, making them as important as the nurses and doctors.
Multidimensional frontliner? Ano kayo? Casper?
"They are helping fight this health crisis. We should give them some importance, prioritization, and some elbow room to use their imagination in this fight against the pandemic,”
IMAGINATION?!?! https://t.co/SpemtxQuTZ
— The Nerdy Derma® (@thenerdyderma) March 26, 2021
A netizen likewise disagreed with the suggestion of Pimentel. The netizen stressed that health workers must be prioritized over politicians who were elected by the people, to serve the people.
https://twitter.com/lonewolfsuzaku/status/1375413312419102721
Advocate Paeng Lopez also took a swipe at Pimentel for he is also a quarantine violator.
Earlier, reports of politicians jumping the line drew irk from the public for disregarding the priority list. In the government’s defense, there was a “quick substitution list” as a replacement for names in the list who rejected the vaccine.
https://twitter.com/paengLopez/status/1375388639820013569
A netizen was enraged by the statement of Pimentel for disregarding health workers. The netizen stressed that officials who Pimentel are defending should work at the hospital. Moreover, the netizen was concerned about the underpaid nurses and doctors compared to the government officials.
Ay ganon ba? Sige po papuntahin niyo sa ospital yang mga yan. Sub naman pi sa mga frontliners na MALIIT ANG SAHOD. Tangina frontliner kayo? LALO KANA? IKAW? NAGKAKALAT KA LANG NAMAN.
— jaecee lim (@jaeceelim) March 26, 2021
With Pimentel invoking his privilege, a netizen even ridiculed the senator for justifying his status as a politician.
Nabubuhay talaga to kapag gustong i-justify yung privilege nya eh. https://t.co/g9GH5XkRYt
— Bee (@bdbartolome) March 26, 2021
Contrary to what Pimentel was aiming to change, the one who wrote the guideline for the receivers of the vaccines was COVAX, the provider of vaccines to developing countries to ensure equitable access.
This was even stressed by journalist Barnaby Lo that the Philippines does not have the option of identifying who is the priority and who is not. It is COVAX who stressed that medical frontliners are the priority over anyone else.
We don’t make the rules, COVAX does (because this WHO facility is one of our only two suppliers for now). And COVAX says the priority is medical frontliners. https://t.co/Dsoj13E1JV
— Barnaby Lo 吳宗鴻 (@barnabychuck) March 26, 2021
With government officials and personalities jumping in line, the Philippines has to answer to COVAX once the nation fails to justify how these individuals managed to get inoculated first.
Gavi, the co-leader of COVAX, emphasized that the Philippines and other countries should adhere to the COVID-19 National Deployment Vaccination Plan they had submitted, and failure to follow will result in an investigation.
“Variations from the planned prioritization would constitute misuse, unless updates to plans are shared with COVAX and are documented, rationalized, and evidence-based,” said Gavi.
“If misuse is determined, countries will be held to account and will be required to reimburse COVAX,” Gavi added.
If the Philippines fails the investigation, the country would have to pay for the COVID-19 vaccines it earlier received free from COVAX.
World Health Organization Representative to the Philippines Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe also warned that the country may lose millions of donated vaccines if it fails to follow the strict requirement of prioritizing medical workers and vulnerable sectors before anyone else.
