EDITORIAL - A line Acosta should not cross

One person who is in a difficult position right now is Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Acosta, currently taking up the crusade for the unvaccinated who are now being banned on public transport in some cities in Metro Manila.

Acosta, who said she has not been vaccinated against COVID-19 for reasons of health and age, has been urged by Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon to get the vaccine or stop reporting physically to work.

Short of saying she should take the vaccine, no less than her boss, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, also said that she needs to follow government regulations that restrict the movements of unvaccinated people to ensure public safety.

But it was not just for that that Acosta may be in trouble, she did something else entirely; she called the vaccines dangerous.

In an interview over ANC a few days ago, the PAO chief spoke out about her stand against the “no vax, no ride” policy, a completely understandable position. But then she proceeded to make declarations that taking the vaccine against COVID-19 was not safe.

"I have a first cousin who is older than me by two years, na-COVID siya, after vaccination namatay. Nag-heart attack. Namaga 'yung puso niya," she says during one part of the interview.

Despite repeated cautioning by the program anchor to be more careful with her words, to not assume that the vaccine was harmful, Acosta insisted that it was.

"I cannot face a vaccine now which will make you sick," she says a short while later.

Let’s get this straight, Acosta has the right to refuse vaccination because of her age and various reasons, but she should also not derail the vaccination program of the government by repeating unproven claims that vaccination does more harm than good.

Acosta has a good reputation and a lot of people look up to her for it. Because of this they are likely to take her word for it if she says something that may not be accurate or even totally wrong. And what she said about the vaccine doesn’t really bode well for a vaccination program that for now remains our only hope of ending this pandemic.

Acosta can fight for the rights of the unvaccinated, that is her specialty. But to go into the medical profession and declare that the vaccines are dangerous is one line she should not dare cross.