The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Wednesday said they sent a show cause order to five mayors who jumped ahead of the line and received a COVID-19 vaccine.

In a radio interview, Interior Undersecretary for Operations Epimaco Densing III said they were able to verify these mayors really received COVID-19 vaccine despite appeals from the national government to let the healthcare workers be vaccinated.

Densing said they sent show cause orders to Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, T’boli, South Cotabato Mayor Dibu Tuan; Sto. Nino, South Cotabato Mayor Sulpicio Villalobos; Legazpi City, Albay Mayor Noel Rosal; and Bataraza, Palawan Mayor Abraham Ibba.

“This is more administrative in nature… They might face complaints for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act,” he said.

“If proven, the DILG will forward the complaint to the Ombudsman and the Ombudsman will decide what kind of administrative sanction they will give to the officials,” he added.

Densing said they have three days to explain why they received COVID-19 vaccine.

He said they are still verifying other reports of mayors who received the vaccine.

As for health workers who led the vaccination, Demsing said it is up to the Department of Health (DOH) to decide.

On Wednesday, Romualdez said he only received the vaccine to convince health workers in their province to get vaccinated. Ella Dionisio/DMS