JABS ON JABS: Mayor stirs up ‘vaccine drama’

By Joseph B.A. Marzan and Jennifer P. Rendon

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas hit national government officials and one of their regional counterparts in the past two days, accusing them of vaccine inequity, or being stingy with their allocations to areas where coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases are surging.

The city government, joined by members of the public and private sectors, in the last two weeks have been asking Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and “vaccine czar” Carlito Galvez Jr. for additional assistance to mitigate the surge in COVID-19 cases.

They particularly requested additional COVID-19 vaccine jabs as doses might be depleted if shortages are not addressed immediately.

On Tuesday, the mayor sent a letter to DOH-Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH-WV CHD) Regional Director Dr. Emilia Monicimpo refuting the regional agency’s claim that it sent 84,224 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, composed of 62,804 doses of Coronavac (Sinovac in China) and 21,420 doses of AZD1222 (AstraZeneca in the United Kingdom).

These figures were cited in the DOH-WV CHD’s regular online series, Isyung Bakuna, on June 21, 2021.

Treñas cited data from the Iloilo City Health Office (ICHO) indicating that the city only received 66,544 doses (49,664 Coronavac and 16,880 AZD1222). He then asked DOH-6 for an explanation as to where the “missing” 17,680 COVID-19 vaccine doses were allocated.

“Since March this year, we have received a total of 66,544 doses of [COVID-19] vaccines (sic). The vaccines are all accounted for by the City Health Office. However, in the June 20, 2021 report of the DOH, it stated that Iloilo City has been sent 84,224 (sic). May I ask for an explanation where the 17,680 doses supposedly for Iloilo City go?” asked the mayor in his letter.

Treñas then sent another letter to Monicimpo detailing the agreement on vaccine allocation made during a conference call on June 21 with Duque, Galvez, and a senator.

These include 11,700 doses of BnT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech in United States of America/Germany), and 70,000 doses of Coronavac, with 20,000 delivered on June 22, and the remaining 50,000 next week.

Both letters were published on the Iloilo City Government’s official Facebook page.

In another statement released via social media, Treñas confirmed receiving the 20,000 doses of Coronavac, along with 5,850 doses of BnT162b2.

“We received 20,000 doses of [Coronavac] and 5,850 doses of [BnT162b2] vaccines [on Tuesday]. The [BnT162b2] vaccines will be given as first dose, prioritizing senior citizens and those with comorbidities. We will do the rollout at the soonest possible time,” he said in a statement.

But he threw a jab at Monicimpo in another Facebook statement, saying that he “missed” her predecessor at the DOH-WV CHD.

“I really miss former [DOH-WV CHD] Regional Director Marlyn Convocar. She showed to us local chief executives that she was concerned about the condition of our constituents. She tried her very best to help us. She called us frequently to ask how she can help us. I felt her concern and her empathy for the situation. I miss her calls and the attention that she gave us. Right now, we never feel the presence of the DOH. They are just not there. Unfortunately, this is happening during the strongest surge of COVID cases in the whole Region 6. We are so alone in this fight,” Treñas said in a statement posted on the city government’s Facebook page at 9:23 p.m.

The mayor did not stop his tirade as he accused national officials in charge of the COVID-19 vaccination program of not placing Iloilo in its priority areas for delivery of high volumes of vaccines.

In an interview with One PH, he lamented the city’s recent BnT162b2 dose delivery, saying he was told that it would be for both first and second doses.

Treñas said “beggars can’t be choosers”, and that the city was scrimping for vaccine scraps, as he cited a Philippine Star report saying that Quezon City had received 600,000 doses for its 3 million population.

“Beggars cannot be choosers. We’re just asking. We are a bit far from NCR Plus 8. The vaccines given to us are just popping up. Whatever we can get, we’ll just have to be thankful, but we can’t do anything about it. If they told us it’s 11,700 and they gave us just 5,850, what can we do? In other areas, they have many Pfizer [vaccines], but for us Ilonggos here, we can’t have that. They need Class A persons,” he said.

BIAS FOR NCR?

Treñas also blamed OCTA Research Group for the COVID-19 surge outside the “NCR Plus 8” area, referring to its statement back in May 2021 that 90 percent of the country’s vaccine supply should be allocated to the National Capital Region (NCR).

The NCR Plus 8 are the areas where the national government has determined to be the “most populous and of highest density” and at greater risk for COVID-19 transmission. It includes NCR, Metro Cebu, Metro Davao, Bulacan, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, and Rizal.

“[I] am blaming OCTA Research Group because they were the ones who started this, that 90 percent of the vaccines should be given to only NCR Plus 8 and look what happened! There’s a surge in Tuguegarao, Iloilo and the whole of Western Visayas, Zamboanga, and in Cagayan De Oro,” he said.

Treñas also reiterated the city’s other needs they requested from Duque and Galvez, which included additional equipment and facilities for COVID-19 patients, additional medical personnel, and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to pay its outstanding debt.

As to the PhilHealth’s debt, he said that the state-run insurer had been returning the bills, which were supposed to be covered by them, to the hospitals.

“[Vaccines are] not the only problem in Iloilo. All the hospitals are now full, and there are patients staying the tents outside because there is no place anymore in the hospital. We need more medical personnel, but the DOH said that out of the 125 needed by the hospitals, they gave out only 65, and they said that the contracts of these nurses would only be up to the end of the month. What will happen after the end of the month, we don’t know. We need medicine, remdesivir and the like. We need medical equipment like ventilators and high-flow oxygen cannula, and we need for PhilHealth to pay the hospitals, which is almost P1billion,” he said.

Treñas said the city should be prioritized because of its “urgent need”, reiterating the high utilization rate in hospitals.

“Iloilo City should be prioritized because our hospital capacity is at 100 percent. Our [Intensive Care Units] are also full, and our ventilators are now in use. That is why I am asking for equipment. When will they prioritize Iloilo? We need that now, when will they help us? What hurts also is that we are being faulted for the rising cases,” said the mayor.

He then took a swipe at presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr., saying his “mouth was faster than his brain,” despite their friendship being former members of the House of Representatives.

In an interview with #SaTotooLang program of ONE PH aired on Tuesday night, Treñas expressed his dismay over Roque who instead of helping Iloilo City, blamed the Ilonggos for the surge of cases.

“What kind of secretary are you? Are you there as a secretary to help out? Or are you a secretary who will be blaming people because they get sick,” he questioned.

According to the mayor, as an intelligent person, Roque should be mindful of his words before making it public.

“Okay naman si Harry Roque but minsan mas mabilis ang bunganga niya sa utak niya so I think as an intelligent person, dapat mauna ang utak mo sa bunganga mo,” Treñas lamented.

The mayor was reacting to the previous statement of Roque who attributed the surge of Covid-19 cases in Visayas and Mindanao due to the non-compliance with the health protocols.”

“Ang datos ang nagpapakita na kaya nagsurge sa ilang parte ng Pilipinas, sa Visayas at Mindanao ay kasi hindi nag ECQ, hindi nag MECQ at talagang bumaba ang compliance with minimum health protocols,” Roque said in a Palace briefing Tuesday.

Roque “assured” Treñas that the solution to rising COVID cases was the observance of minimum public health standards including washing of hands, wearing of face masks, and maintaining physical distance.

Treñas and Roque were colleagues in the 17th Congress for a short while, with Treñas representing the lone district of Iloilo City, and Roque representing Kabayan Party-List until 2017.

The mayor also included Roque’s political ambitions, expressing “ambivalence” over the latter’s possible Senate bid in 2022.

HOSPITAL ALLOCATIONS

DOH-WV CHD Infectious Diseases Cluster Head Dr. Mary Jane Juanico told Aksyon Radyo Iloilo Wednesday explained that the so-called missing vaccines were given directly to the hospitals and did not go through the ICHO.

Juanico also clarified that the city government and its LVOC were informed of the direct vaccine deliveries to the hospitals in prior coordination.

She added that they have been engaging with LVOCs across the region, citing her recent meetings which include acting ICHO chief Dr. Annabelle Tang, and information provided to Chiqui Blancaflor, the mayor’s special executive assistant.

Vaccine allocations, she said, are taken out of the DOH-WV CHD’s storage facilities within 24 to 48 hours from delivery but added that the city government had previously delayed taking out their allocations due to a lack of storage capacity before it recently expanded.

“The city government was informed from the early part of our discussions about vaccination because as we all know, the national task force guidelines was even issued January 26, 2020. In our initial preparations for the vaccination, since hospitals were the first ones to be given vaccines, all of our [LVOCs] were informed of the allocations in the different hospitals. We all know that our LVOCs have many tasks and there are only small details needed to reconciled and coordinated with them to settle our issues about missing vaccines,” said Juanico in a radio interview.

She added that there were no missing vaccines in the region, except for those declared by the LVOCs as wastage, which the World Health Organization (WHO) defines as “the sum of vaccines discarded, lost, damaged or destroyed”.

Buffer stock of vaccines from the regional office may be allocated to hospitals requesting for vaccines for their employees under priority group A1 (medical frontliners), while vaccination of their family members under priority groups A2 (senior citizens) and A3 (persons with comorbidities) will be managed and implemented by the LVOC, according to a verbal agreement between the DOH-WV CHD and the city government.

“If we have buffer stock allotted by the [DOH] national office intended for the regional office, we may provide for hospitals requesting for their additional or new employees. But for family members of hospital employees belonging to groups A2 and A3, we requested that [the LVOC] would take charge of the allocation,” Juanico said.

According to the DOH-WV CHD’s press release on Wednesday, a total of 103,035 health workers in the region under priority group A1 have been vaccinated, followed by 117,275 under A2, and 107,159 under A3.

‘TENDER CARE’

Roque also responded to the mayor’s comments about him during a press conference, saying that only “tenderness” was necessary.

“I’ve talked to Mayor Treñas, It just needs tenderness, because he knows I am an Ilonggo myself. Maybe it is irritating, but it’s the truth. While we don’t have containment [of COVID-19 surge], masks, handwashing, and distancing [are still needed],” the spokesperson said.

Roque said 10 more areas to receive an increased volume of vaccines, dubbing the priority areas as “NCR Plus 8 Plus 10” but did not elaborate on which areas would receive the said vaccines.

Galvez told ABS-CBN via text message that the “Plus 10” would include areas with COVID-19 surge in Regions 1 (Ilocos Region), 2 (Cagayan Valley), 3 (Central Luzon), 4 (CALABARZON), 5 (Bicol Region), 6 (Western Visayas), 8 (Eastern Visayas), 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula), 10 (Northern Mindanao), 11 (Davao Region), and 13 (Caraga).

Treñas also confirmed in a statement that he had spoken to Roque and Galvez to address several issues, including:

– Lack of vaccines;

– Issue of unpaid bills from PhilHealth to hospitals, amounting to almost P1 billion;

– Lack of medical personnel;

– Lack of COVID medicines; and

– Lack of equipment like ventilators and high flow oxygen cannula.

He also said that Roque and Galvez will be coming to Iloilo City next week with the requested equipment and medicines.

“Sec. Harry and Sec. Galvez called to inform me that they are looking for solutions for the lack of vaccines, medicines, equipment, and medical personnel including the unpaid bills of PhilHealth to city hospitals. They are also coming to Iloilo City early next week with the needed supplies and solutions. I will wait for them to come here so that I will know how these problems can be resolved,” Treñas said.

Senator Bong Go will join them after he promised to deliver 50,000 doses of Sinovac to aid the Iloilo City government’s COVID-19 response. (With a report from ERS)