MANILA, Philippines — Six months since the government started the vaccination program, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said yesterday inmates should be included in the priority list because they are also entitled to vaccines.
“They should not be left behind in the vaccine rollout,” Guevarra said.
He made the statement after a report from the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), which is under the supervision of the Department of Justice, showed that only 474 out of 48,000 elderly inmates in seven prisons nationwide have been vaccinated.
The BuCor report said that no inmate in the New Bilibid Prison has been inoculated.
Guevarra said local governments where the prisons are located should help in vaccinating the inmates in their jurisdictions.
“Elderly inmates and those with comorbidities should be prioritized,” Guevarra said.
“We hope that with the arrival of more vaccines in the coming days, sufficient doses could be set aside for prisoners,” he added.