DILG issues show cause orders to 13 officials for vaccine priority violations

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has issued show cause orders to a total of thirteen officials, including twelve mayors and one councilor, for allegedly violating the COVID-19 vaccine priority list.

The initial five mayors who received orders on Tuesday were Alfred Romualdez of Tacloban, Leyte; Dibu Tuan of T'boli, South Cotabato; Sulpicio Villalobos of Sto Niño, South Cotabato; Noel Rosal of Legazpi, Albay; and Abraham Ibba of Bataraza, Palawan.

DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III confirmed that seven more mayors and one councilor are set to receive their orders, expected to be issued on Friday.

These officials are required to explain why they availed of the vaccines ahead of those in the priority list.

Some mayors have defended their actions by stating they aimed to encourage public confidence in the vaccines.

Densing confirmed that this action is administrative in nature and constitutes a violation of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

The DILG is continuing to collate evidence to identify any other local chief executives who may have disregarded the vaccine priority list.