BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Escalante City Mayor Melecio “Beboy” Yap said yesterday that he is ready to be jailed, if he is sanctioned by the Department of Interior and Local Government for getting the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine earlier than the priority list of the Department of Health had recommended.
“I am willing to take any penalty for my action because I do believe wala ko sala,” Yap, who was the first local chief executive in Negros Occidental to be vaccinated last week, said, in an interview with Capitol-beat reporters.
Yap clarified that there are 150 Sinovac vaccines allocated for the Vicente Gustilo District Hospital in Escalante City, with only 47 medical frontliners willing to be vaccinated at the time.
“They were hesitant. Maybe because it was Sinovac. So we decided that all city employees will be classified under quick response so that the hospital personnel will follow the example,” the Escalante mayor said.
He also pointed out that the call of duty made him decide for the vaccination, and to set himself as an example to encourage his constituents to take the COVID-19 vaccines.
The name of Yap was not included in the list of show-cause orders issued by DILG for local government officials, who have been inoculated with Covid-19 vaccines ahead of those in the priority list.
“Kon may pag pili-an ko, indi ko mag pa vaccinate sa Sinovac. Mabakal ko ya sang akon vaccine (If I have to select, I will not use Sinovac. For my vaccination, I will buy my own vaccine)”, Yap said.
He also stressed that he had no ill intention in getting the vaccine early.
He also said he feels okay after the vaccination.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson yesterday said “I guess that local chief executives who went ahead, will just have to explain why they were placed in that situation”.*
