Philippine president threatens to arrest Filipinos who refuse vaccination

APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Philippines
Posted at 11:04 AM, Jun 22, 2021
and last updated 2021-06-22 12:05:45-04


President Rodrigo Duterte, who is known for his public outbursts and brash rhetoric, said in televised remarks Monday night that he has become exasperated with people who refuse to get immunized and then help spread the coronavirus.

He said the country was facing a crisis and he would arrest those who refuse and would inject them with the vaccine himself.



The country's justice secretary acknowledged on Tuesday that there was no Philippine law criminalizing refusal to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.

A human rights lawyer, Edre Olalia, raised concerns over Duterte’s threat, saying the president could not order the arrest of anybody who has not clearly committed any crime.