Palace tells LGUs not to blame Duterte for vax site crowding

Malacañang advised local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila not to attribute the crowding at COVID-19 vaccination sites to President Rodrigo Duterte's pronouncements.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque urged LGUs to take responsibility for organizing vaccination drives efficiently and avoid blaming the President.

Roque denied that Duterte's order for police and barangay officials to escort unvaccinated individuals back to their homes caused an unexpected number of people to show up at vaccination centers.

He argued that if Duterte's directive was to blame for overcrowding, people should have flocked to the sites much earlier, as the President's statement was made on July 28, while the crowding occurred on August 5.

Roque, alongside other officials, suggested that 'fake news' regarding potential repercussions for unvaccinated individuals, such as arrest or denial of government aid, was the actual cause of the crowds.