• CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
A group of Negrenses opposing Senate Bill No. 1869 are spearheading a signature campaign to express their strong opposition against its immediate passage due to several provisions which they claim to be unconstitutional.
Ma. Lourdes Lapore, one of the members of X-Man, a group opposed to COVID-19 vaccination/mandatory vaccination, yesterday said they hope to gather as many signatures as they can to show to the Senate that the people are truly against this Bill.
They hope to sit down with health authorities, local leaders and the Church to make them aware of the provisions of SB 1869 (formerly House Bill 6522), she said.
The Bill provides that suspect persons who are not ill can be quarantined without due process. It promotes treatment, vaccination, or immunization against a contagious disease, compelling the isolation or quarantine of persons who are unable or unwilling, for reasons of health, religion, or conscience, to undergo immunization or treatment.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will act as the national focal point of the Philippines for International Health Regulations. They say this section in the bill allows foreign intrusion and even domination by international bodies like the World Health Organization on matters concerning Filipino’s health.
The Bill also provides that the assistance of the Philippine National Police or the National Bureau of Investigation can be sought against local patients or persons suspected of contracting a communicable disease. Meanwhile, the National Telecommunications Commission or any telecommunications entity will provide location information of patients or persons suspected of contracting a disease upon the request of the CDC.
Program implementers, public officials and employees, health care workers, who are authorized to carry out and are actually involved in public health emergency response will be immune from suit and liability as provided in the Bill.
During a press conference yesterday, Louella Lofranco said it is a very dangerous bill. It is also coercive and oppressive because of the provisions cited.
SB 1869 will also allow the CDC to be a manufacturing company of vaccines so they will sell commodities. The Filipino people will be the guinea pigs while the implementers will have no liability, she said.
Budget-wise, SB 1869 will not be good for the country because this will create another agency that will duplicate the Department of Health (DOH). It will duplicate many of the centers and will drain taxpayers’ money, Lofranco added.
Lawyer Jerry Basiao pointed out that anyone suspected to have communicable disease can be isolated and if one refuses vaccination, due to medical conditions, he can be imposed punishment like imprisonment and imposed a fine of P2 million.
The group also provided a documentation of alleged vaccine-related deaths in the country.*
