ILOILO City – There is no legal basis to arrest people refusing to be vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), according to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in Region 6.
While people are being encouraged to have themselves inoculated, they also have the right to informed consent, stressed Atty. Jonnie Dabuco, regional director.
“Ang desisyon sang isa ka tawo nga magpa-vaccine or not should be based on informed consent,” Dabuco told Panay News.
Frustrated by vaccine hesitancy, President Rodrigo Duterte said last week people who refuse vaccination may be arrested and detained.
“Waay ‘ni sang legal basis,” Dabuco stressed.
But he believed the President was not being serious.
“Ang tawag ‘na bala daw pahug-pahug para nga daw makwan lang ang tawo,” said Dabuco.
To convince people, the national government should instead intensify its information campaign on the benefits of vaccination, according to Dabuco.
“Waay pa sang nakita nga pamaagi para matapna ang COVID-19 kundi ang vaccine,” he said. “While we respect sa mga personal choices sang tawo kay ti iya man ina ‘ya lawas, pero we always encourage nga i-avail ang ini nga vaccine kay libre man kag para man sa aton tanan.”
Being a person with comorbidity, Dabuco said, he already received his fist dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19./PN