The Philippines may lose 44 million doses of vaccine against coronavirus disease coming from World Health Organization-led COVAX facility if the priority list for vaccination would not be followed and more local chief executives would jump the line, Malacanang said on Thursday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, in a televised press briefing, expressed hope no more politicians would skip the line.

"It is wrong! That's what the President (Rodrigo Duterte) said, 'It's wrong'. We may lose 44 million free doses that will come from COVAX facility if the priority (list) won't be followed," he said.

In his Talk to the People on Wednesday night, Duterte identified the nine mayors who had themselves vaccinated against COVID-19 despite the limited supply of the drug and while the government is still inoculating the healthcare workers, who are in the A1 list.

Duterte acknowledged that there could be a "gray area" on the matter, particularly if the defense of the mayors was to encourage their constituents to have themselves vaccinated.

In the case of Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, who was one of those who received the initial jab, Roque noted that the former was apparently forced to receive the vaccine because only few healthcare workers agreed to be injected.

He also said that, according to Romualdez, it was Sinovac vaccine that was used on him and not AstraZeneca, which came from COVAX facility.

But despite that, Roque reiterated, "if that (jumping the line) continues, 44 million dosages of COVAX facility vaccines could be lost. So please, we ask for your indulgence."

Roque also said that the government has included the local officials in the A4 priority of economic frontliners, along with soldiers.

The Department of Interior and Local Government has issued show cause order to mayors who skipped the line and had themselves vaccinated. They were asked to explain why they should not be held administratively liable. Celerina Monte/DMS