Unvaxxed cops relegated to desk work

MANILA, Philippines — Unvaccinated police officers will be relegated to administrative work under the “no jab, no duty” policy of the Philippine National Police, PNP chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos announced yesterday.

The policy aims to protect PNP personnel who have yet to receive COVID-19 vaccines amid the threat of the Omicron variant, according to Carlos.

The policy will be enforced as soon as the guidelines are crafted, he said.

“In the coming days, we are coming up with a memorandum circular to implement the policy among PNP personnel,” Carlos said at a press briefing.

“As officers of the law, it is our responsibility to uphold public welfare at all times and lead by example in fulfilling the citizen’s duty to promote people’s health and safety,” he added.

The PNP is nearing its 100 percent vaccination target, with only about 900 officers still unvaccinated.

These personnel, according to Carlos, were unable to give “reasonable excuses for their continued refusal to get vaccinated.”

The PNP said about 859 members of the police organization remain unvaccinated due to valid reasons such as allergic reactions and underlying medical conditions.

Carlos said the unvaccinated officers who are medically cleared to get COVID jabs would not be deployed for police work.

“Instead, they will be given desk work. They are still on duty status. We want to make sure that they will not be exposed to the virus,” the PNP chief told reporters.

Carlos said they would continue encouraging unvaccinated officers to get COVID-19 jabs.

He said being unvaccinated is no reason for police officers not to report to work.

“We will not allow that. We will make sure that they are contributing to the mission and functions of the PNP,” Carlos said.

The PNP will not enforce a “no vaccine, no entry” at police camps, stations and offices, he said.

Data from the PNP Health Service showed that 212,080 or 93.98 percent of police officers have been fully vaccinated while 11,788 have received a second dose of COVID-19 vaccines.