SENATE President Vicente Sotto III is cool to the prospect of Congress passing a law requiring customers to show Covid-19 vaccine ID passes before being allowed entry in indoor establishments, including restaurants and shopping malls.
Sotto said such a bill is not likely to gain majority support among lawmakers, adding he also does not see President Duterte signing into a law what would seem to be like a martial-law edict scenario, bordering on discrimination.
An earlier warning about the constitutional challenge this could provoke was raised by Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III.
According to Sotto, Congress could not impose anti-Covid passes as an obligation as having Covid vaccine injections is not mandatory.
He added it could also be deemed “unfair” to those persons negative of the virus who have not been injected yet.
This developed, as Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion was reported to have suggested the option of requiring vaccine passes in the National Capital Region-plus area once it hits “herd immunity” or a big part of the population has already been vaccinated.
With the vaccine passes, it was suggested that establishments could already open for business, accommodating customers 80 percent of their capacity, including shopping malls, restaurants, spa, salon, health clubs, museums, performance venues, public transports, and other enclosed spaces that require removing face masks.
According to Concepcion, the government is not depriving people’s right should they refuse to be vaccinated, but government needs to protect those who chose to be injected with the vaccine, seen to be a crucial step to prevent the virus from spreading and enabling business to finally bounce back.