PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief Debold Sinas on Monday, February 22, 2021, said he was willing to be inoculated in public with a vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) to encourage police personnel and the public to receive the shot.
"I said that a long time ago. I will have myself vaccinated if you want in public. No problem. If you want, we can do it at Plaza Miranda so it will be more public. We are very willing," Sinas said in a press briefing.
He said this is also to show that the PNP leadership has faith and is willing to participate in the government's Covid-19 vaccination program.
Other PNP officials who have said they were willing to get the Covid-19 vaccine in public are: Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar, deputy chief for administration; Lieutenant General Hawthorne Binag, deputy chief for operations; and Joselito Vera Cruz, chief directorial staff.
Eleazar, who is also the commander of PNP Administrative Support to Covid Operations Task Force (ASCOTF), said 70.14 percent of the total PNP force is willing to get vaccinated.
"I would like to give you an update with the survey that we are conducting. As of this moment, out of the 219,130 (PNP) personnel (now in active duty), those hesitant to take Covid-19 vaccines number around 65,434, which is 29.86 percent. So meaning, we have 153,696 police personnel willing to be vaccinated or 70.14 percent," he said.
This is a great improvement from the results of the survey conducted two weeks ago, which showed that 49 percent of the PNP personnel were unwilling or hesitant to be vaccinated. (SunStar Philippines)