The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) called on the government to also include in the COVID-19 vaccine priority list the prisoners in the country.
According to CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia, it is better to include inmates in the vaccination priority list to prevent transmission of the virus inside the prisons.
Inmates are said to be not included on the priority list for COVID vaccination.
“In developing national vaccination plans, it should not discriminate against those held in detention… Those who are high-risk inmates for COVID-19 should be prioritized for inoculation with the same treatment with comparative groups in the general population,” said de Guia.
In December 2019, the Bureau of Corrections recorded a 302% congestion rate while the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology recorded a 534% congestion rate in March 2020.
Prior to the pandemic, National Bilibid Prisons reported that one inmate dies a day while 300 to 800 BJMP inmates die every year.
In July 2020, convicted kidnapper and high-profile inmate Jaybee Sebastian died of COVID-19.
Include prisoners in priority list of vaccines – CHR
Sebastian’s death certificate showed he passed away on Saturday, 10:15 am at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) Hospital, NBP Reservation, Barangay Poblacion, Muntinlupa City.
The certificate also showed Sebastian died of acute myocardial infarction related to COVID-19.
Meanwhile, Senator Joel Villanueva called on the government to include media workers on the COVID-19 vaccination priority list, calling them “information frontliners.”
“Press freedom and timely access to truthful information are a must in times of pandemic. Media should be included in the A4 list,” Villanueva, chair of the Senate labor committee, said on Tuesday.
“Ang media workers po natin ay ang ating information frontliners. Bukod sa peligroso ang kanilang trabaho, napakahalaga po ng kanilang ambag na kaalaman at impormasyon laban sa pandemya,” he added.
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) also asked the government to add lawyers to the COVID-19 vaccination priority list.
IBP president Domingo Cayosa wrote a letter to National Task Force Against COVID-19 chairman and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana asking to include lawyers in the A4 vaccination group, the category for frontline personnel in essential sectors, uniformed personnel, and local officials.