Spain's top general resigns over allegations of breaching vaccination protocol

Spain's Chief of Defense Staff, General Miguel Angel Villarroya, resigned on Saturday after it was claimed on Friday that he and other high-ranking military officers had received a first dose of the anti-coronavirus vaccine in breach of protocol, reported Xinhua.

Villarroya presented his resignation to Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles in a letter, in which he said he was stepping down to "preserve the image of the Armed Forces," according to a statement released by the Ministry of Defense.

He said he had always "strived to serve as an example to his subordinates and to do the right thing," and that although he had "never tried to take advantage of unjustifiable privileges," some of his decisions "are damaging the public image of the Armed Forces."

The controversy over high-ranking military officers receiving the vaccination despite not being part of a high-risk group was made public on Friday, prompting Robles to request a report into the event.