President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday night ordered authorities to keep Filipinos who have yet to receive Covid-19 vaccines from going outside their residences, saying they were “walking spreaders” of the virus.
Duterte said the country should come up with a law punishing unvaccinated individuals who were “going around.”
“We do not have a law, a punitive action that can be taken against the person who does not have the vaccine and go around, making it dangerous for the others to acquire the virus,” he said in a late-night address, his first since his final State of the Nation Address.
For now, Duterte said authorities should be responsible for limiting the mobility of unvaccinated persons.
“Siguro pagka ganun, ang mga barangay captain na lang, ‘pag ayaw nilang magpabakuna, huwag mo silang pabasahin ng bahay. Ganoon ang ano niyan. E wala tayo, defenseless tayo e,” he said.
Those who have already been inoculated can roam around, Duterte said.
“I do not have any qualms about people going out kung bakunado. E what’s the purpose of having a vaccine if you cannot go out? Iyong mga bakunado, puwede na kayong magpasyal-pasyal. Iyong walang bakuna, tumabi muna kayo at magplano ako kung anong gawain ko sa inyo,” the president said.
Duterte also said available vaccines should be given to those willing to get inoculated.
“Itong ayaw magpabakuna, ibigay na lang kaagad doon sa A3. Doon na sa public kung sinong gusto. E ‘yung ayaw magpabakuna sa listahan wala, eh di ayaw nila. Ibigay natin sa iba para makatulong,” he said.
The country has 54,552 active Covid-19 cases as of July 28. John Ezekiel J. Hirro