The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) reacted to the recent policy of Cebu City which will allegedly implement a "no vaccine, no Christmas bonus" policy.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said on Monday the bonus is on top of the employees' 13th-month pay and is a "prerogative" of the local government.
According to Rama, the local government must set a good example to the population by getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
But the CHR reiterated that there is still a need to "balance" individual rights and legal obligations when it comes to bonuses.
"Kailangan talaga natin balansehin yung individual right as well as yung legal obligations natin patungkol diyan sa bonuses," said CHR deputy spokesperson Marc Siapno.
(We really need to balance individual rights and our legal obligations when it comes to bonuses.)
"Marami tayong mga batas, madaling sabihin na pwede at kaya nating i-withdraw pero kailangan din natin magkaroon ng legal review as to the standard because we don't want our own government violating our own law," Siapno added in an interview with DZRH.
(We have a lot of laws. It’s easy to say it’s possible and we can withdraw but we need to have a legal review to the standard because we don’t want our own government violating our own law.)
According to Siapno, it would be much better to ask local executives why vaccinations have not yet reached 100%, especially since government workers can be considered frontline service providers.
"So kailangan we walk the talk. Kung gusto ng local government unit na bigyan o i-encourage yung ating mga mamamayan na magbakuna, sana 'yung sa sarili nilang bakuran unahin muna nila, iaddress yung mga misconception at other challenges," said Siapno.
(So we need to walk the talk. If the local government unit wants to give or encourage our citizens to get vaccinated, they should first prioritize their own backyard by addressing misconceptions and other challenges.)
According to Siapno, it would be much better to follow the good practices of other local government units rather than mandating them to take vaccinations in exchange for cash bonuses.
