SENATE President Vicente Sotto III said the government should boost its vaccination information dissemination drive rather than employing the "no vaccination, no ride" policy.
Sotto has been against the "no vaccination, no ride" policy, saying that it is discriminatory against unvaccinated individuals.
"To me, in general, whether you are poor or rich, it's discriminatory," Sotto said during the virtual presser on Thursday, January 20, 2022, attended by the media members of Cagayan de Oro, Malaybalay and Butuan.
The senate president further said that the policy was not studied well and was implemented without thinking that it can discriminate people, especially those who have not been vaccinated for one reason or another.
Sotto cited that there were individuals who were vaccinated due to certain ailments or their religion.
"Do not discriminate. Respect them. 'Yon lang ang point ko," Sotto said.
The senate president also said that the Department of Health and the Inter-Agency Task Force should improve their information dissemination instead.
"I think a very good information dissemination drive, ito ang mas magandang gawin nila," Sotto said.
"Eh, ang nangyayari nakikita ko sa gobyerno natatalo pa nga sila sa internet. Sa social media at tsaka sa internet, mas maraming lumalabas na masamang balita," he added.
Meanwhile, the Concerned Doctors and Citizens (CDC) of the Philippines recently praised Sotto for speaking up for the rights of unvaccinated individuals.
CDC Philippines President Dr. Homer Lim said that the country needs people like Sotto who are willing to openly defend the unvaccinated.
“The reason there’s an equal protection clause in the Constitution is to ensure that the majority cannot bully the minority,” Lim said.
“But that’s exactly what’s happening now. First it was no vax, no work; now it’s no vax, no ride; in the end it will be no vax, no rights,” he added.
The "no vaccination, no ride" policy has already been implemented in the National Capital Region.