By Deighton Acuin

PHOTO: PCOO

“Don’t get me wrong, there is a crisis being faced in this country, there is a national emergency.  Kung ayaw mong magpabakuna ipaaresto kita, at ang bakuna itusok ko sa pwet mo.”

President Rodrigo Duterte issued this warning against Filipinos who are still hesitant to get vaccinated against COVID-19 amid detected cases of new and more transmissible variants.

In his weekly Talk to the People program, Duterte said he was upset by the reports that some have not yet been getting a shot as the government repeatedly calls for getting vaccinated to provide protection against infections.

“Don’t force my hand into it.  Kung hindi kayo magpabakuna, umalis kayo sa Pilipinas. Go to India or to America.  But as long as you are here and you are a human being who can carry the virus, magpabakuna ka.  ‘Pag hindi, ‘yung ivermectin na para sa baboy ang patira ko sa’yo,” he said.

The country’s vaccination program started last March 1 following the arrival of 600,000 donated vaccine doses developed by China-based Sinovac Biotech.

To date, the country has received 14,205,870 doses. By the numbers, 9,000,000 doses from Sinovac Biotech, 2,556,000 doses from British firm AstraZeneca, 2,469,870 doses from Pfizer, and 180,000 doses from Russia’s Gamaleya Institute.

As of Tuesday, June 21, the Department of Health (DOH) reported 1,364,239 total COVID-19 cases, 1,284,643 recoveries, and 23,749 deaths.

Meanwhile, 8,222,759 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the country of which 6,102,625 individuals have received the first dose while 2,120,134 individuals have completed two doses.



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