Most countries are urging their citizens to get vaccinated. Some are offering incentives for the vaccinated. But the Philippines is not one of those countries. Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to jail those who do not get vaccinated. If implemented, it would be one of the strictest measures to get people vaccinated across the world.
"If you're a person who's not vaccinated and a potential carrier, to protect the people, I have to sequester you in jail," Duterte said on Monday, as mentioned in a report in Bloomberg. He asked village leaders to keep a list of those who refuse to get vaccinated.
Majority in the Philippines are unsure of the vaccine or have rejected it for now. Indonesia too, earlier this year, moved to penalise those who refuse to take the shots with fines or delayed aid.
President Duterte further said, "The first wave has really depleted the resources of the government. Another one would be disastrous for this country. That is why the stricter you are, the better." He also put a stop on plans to resume physical classes and made wearing of face shields mandatory.
Lawyers in the Cebu province questioned the national task force's testing and quarantine methods. President Duterte responded by saying that he will not obey the courts on how to manage the pandemic.
However, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra countered the President's remarks and said that there is no law compelling citizens to get vaccinated. The President's spokesperson also said that vaccinations remain voluntary currently and that Duterte's remarks were to 'emphasise' what the state can do.
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