Malacanang assured on Thursday that the government would not use the distribution of vaccines against coronavirus disease in politicking, especially for the 2022 presidential elections.

In a televised press briefing in Quezon province, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said President Rodrigo Duterte would ensure that priority sectors would receive the free COVID-19 vaccines once available.

"How can there be politics considering that we really need the vaccine? So there's no politics there. If there's politics there, the President will do wat the previous president and administration did. The opposition will not be given," he said.

"But it's very clear from the President, all the poor will be given priority, the policemen, the soldiers, the frontliners, and the vulnerable," Roque said.

He stressed that everyone will be given vaccine to end the pandemic.

According to National Task Force Against COVID-19 Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez Jr., the COVID-19 vaccine rollout is most likely to take place by late second quarter to the end of 2021.

The presidential elections will take place in May 2022.

Galvez said based on the government's roadmap, vaccination will happen in three to five years.

"It's beyond political color; it's beyond political years of election," he added. Celerina Monte/DMS