A top Spanish general resigned on Saturday over allegations he skipped the coronavirus vaccine line and received his shot ahead of priority groups.
The now-former chief of the defense staff, Gen. Miguel Ángel Villarroya, was the highest-ranking military officer in the Spanish Armed Forces and the principal military advisor to the prime minister.
On Friday, after media reports alleged that Villarroya and other defense staff generals had already been vaccinated against COVID-19, the country's defense minister, Margarita Robles, asked for clarification and requested a report.
According to the Spanish newspaper El País, at the time Robles said she didn't know what she was going to do about the situation.
"Depending on what the report says, we will see."
© Provided by New York Daily NewsGeneral Miguel Ángel Villarroya Vilalta, the highest-ranking military officer in Spanish Armed Forces resigned over allegations of skipping vaccination line.
General Miguel Ángel Villarroya Vilalta, the highest-ranking military officer in Spanish Armed Forces resigned over allegations of skipping vaccination line.
On Saturday, following intense backlash and public pressure, Villaroya resigned in face of the scandal.
In a letter sent to Robles, Villaroya reportedly defended his decision to vaccinate himself and other military personnel who are not part of any priority groups, but acknowledged that his actions deteriorated the public image of the military.
Although he stressed that "he has never tried to take advantage of unjustifiable privileges," he called for his dismissal, "with a clear conscience" and "not to damage the image" of the armed forces, according to El País.
At the beginning of the pandemic, Villaroya represented the military at media daily briefings, when he would explain how troops were caring for the elderly, according to Reuters.
The news comes amid outrage at some of the county's "rich and powerful" who are accused of monopolizing COVID-19 vaccinations and ignoring priority lines.
Spain, one of the hardest-hit nations in Europe, reported 42,885 new cases of the deadly coronavirus on Friday bringing the total count to 2,499,560 infections, including 55,411 deaths.