(File photo) MANILA - The chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Labor and Employment on Thursday thumbed down the policy of making coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccination a mandatory condition for work being implemented by some businesses. 1PACMAN Party-list Rep. Enrico Pineda said the "no jab, no job" policy requiring a person to be vaccinated so that he or she may be able to make a living is "not right". "Although I am in favor of vaccination so that we can attain herd immunity, I don't believe that it should be forced upon our people. Restricting access to a livelihood on the basis of one's choice not to be vaccinated is violative of their basic right to choose, their right to free will. My body, my decision," Pineda said. He said he believes that neither the government nor an employer should be able to dictate what individuals must do to their bodies. "If a person chooses not to take the Covid-19 vaccine, due to any
(File photo) MANILA - A lawmaker called on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to investigate employers imposing the "no vaccine, no salary" scheme as it unduly penalizes workers who have no access to Covid-19 vaccines. Rizal (2nd District) Rep. Fidel Nograles issued the request on Tuesday following reports that some companies allegedly refused to release the salaries of unvaccinated employees until they can show they have been inoculated. "Lalong magdurusa ang mga arawan ang sahod sa ganitong sistema (Daily-paid workers would further suffer with this kind of system). I urge the Department of Labor and Employment to investigate this matter thoroughly and immediately put a stop to such an insensitive and illegal scheme," Nograles said in a statement. Nograles said daily wage workers outside Metro Manila would bear the brunt of such a policy as the government starts distributing vaccines in regions. He said until supply is distributed more equitably, workers
(File photo) MANILA - There is no need yet to compel Filipinos to get vaccinated against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), Malacanang said on Thursday. For now, there is a slim chance that President Rodrigo Duterte would order the mandatory inoculation against Covid-19, considering that more Filipinos want to receive the vaccine jabs, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a virtual presser. "But right now, because the supply [has] just arrived, let's see, because I think the level of individuals who want to be vaccinated is already very high so baka hindi pa naman kinakailangan sa ngayon (perhaps, the mandatory vaccination is not yet necessary)," Roque said. Roque said the government's current priority is to administrate the vaccines to individuals who are willing to get inoculated against the coronavirus. "Napakarami pong gusto nang mabakunahan. Since nandiyan na po ang supply, eh ubusin muna natin 'yung gusto nating mabakunahan bago natin pag