Two charged in QC for getting ‘booster’ shot

Two individuals who already completed their Sinovac dose but still got a “booster” shot of another vaccine brand, have been charged before the Quezon City prosecutor’s office for violating the local government's ordinance on vaccine fraud.

The respondents were identified as Paul Pajo and Francis Alano, who both claimed in separate Facebook posts that they received another jab of Moderna and Pfizer, respectively, despite getting complete doses of CoronaVac.

Lawyer Orlando Casimiro, Quezon City's counsel who filed the charges, said the two violated the recently passed Ordinance No. SP-3032 S-2021 (An Ordinance Prohibiting COVID-19 Vaccine Fraud), particularly its provision on misrepresentation of "vaccine status for purposes of fraud, or deceit, including a fully-vaccinated person pretending to be unvaccinated for purposes of receiving additional unwarranted inoculations,” and of “commission of any other deceit or fraud in relation to the Government’s COVID-19 vaccination program.”

The incident happened two weeks after the Quezon City council passed a measure penalizing COVID-19 vaccine fraudsters.

Quezon City is the first city in NCR to have such an ordinance.

Pajo and Alano, if found guilty, will be penalized with a P5,000 fine and/or imprisonment of not less than one month but not more than six months, or both, at the discretion of the court.

Mayor Joy Belmonte in a statement said she condemns the action of these "greedy and selfish" individuals because many in the city have not yet received at least a dose of the COVID19 vaccine.

"Ako iniisip ko kung may nagpost, saka natin nahuli, paano pa kaya ‘yung mga napakaraming nakakuha ng booster shot na hindi nag-post, no? (I'm thinking, if we're only able to catch these two because of their Facebook posts, how about those who already had a booster shot but did not post?)" Belmonte told DZBB in an interview.

If Pajo and Alano's posts were proven false, Belmonte said, they would still be held liable for making fake claims related to COVID-19 vaccines.

"Doon sa pangalawang nag-post, sabi nya, hindi, nagloloko (lang) daw sya... May iba pang parusa dyan (One of them denied the claim and said he was only joking. But he would still have to face charges) even if you did not have a third dose," Belmonte said.

Casimiro, however, told Manila Bulletin in an interview that the local government has sufficient evidence in holding the two accountable under the city ordinance.

“We in the local government are taking this matter seriously. We will not tolerate actions like this, especially that a good number of individuals have yet to receive their first vaccine dose, not just in our city but in our country in general. Nagkakagulo na nga para lang makakuha ng bakuna ang mga tao, may manlalamang pa (People are enduring long hours at vaccination sites just to get a vaccine while there are those who get extra doses denying others their vaccine),” Belmonte said.

Joseph Juico, co-chair of the QC Task Force Vax to Normal said the local government is already looking at adding new forms or waivers that those receiving the vaccine will have to sign to prevent such acts.

Following the discovery of vaccinees getting booster shots which is not yet allowed, the Metro Manila Council (MMC) tasked local government units in the National Capital Region (NCR) to come up with ordinances penalizing individuals getting a "booster" shot or a third dose of the vaccine against COVID19, Belmonte bared Saturday.

“Actually I brought that up to Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chair Benhur Abalos because one of the violators came from his city. He said he would think of it, of how to solve such an issue at least within Metro Manila. Even without the Department of Information and Communications Technology database, we can exchange information with one another [over individuals who are already vaccinated],” Belmonte told DZBB interview.

“I just want to mention that the Metro Manila Council, under supervision of Chair Abalos, has already been ordered that each city should come up with its own local ordinance against COVID-19 vaccine fraudsters,” she added.

Belmonte said the issue on COVID-19 vaccine fraudsters, particularly on those getting an extra jab, would not be resolved until the local government units have access to the proposed unified COVID-19 vaccine database of the DICT.