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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Duterte: Every Filipino will get COVID vaccine, even ASG, NPA

Duterte: Every Filipino will get COVID vaccine, even ASG, NPA

Published Dec 27, 2020 09:52 am

President Duterte reiterated Saturday that the COVID-19 vaccine that the Philippines will  acquire will be made available to all Filipinos, including members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and the New People's Army (NPA).

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte went back to Manila a day after Christmas to meet selected members of his Cabinet along with infectious disease experts. The emergency meeting, held in Malacañang Palace on December 26,2020, was convened to discuss the emerging fast-spreading new variant of Coronavirus (Covid-19) disease found in the United Kingdom.
(KING RODRIGUEZ / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)

Duterte made the statement following an outburst against the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) during his meeting with members of the government's pandemic task force and other health experts.

Duterte apologized to the participants of the meeting in Malacañang for going off-topic. He called the meeting to discuss the new COVID-19 strain.

He said that every Filipino can get the vaccine.

"Maghingi ako ng tawad sa (I apologize to the) body for the outburst. Hindi ko mapigilan sarili ko, eh (I couldn't hold myself back) because we arrived at this issue of whether they should be vaccinated," he said.

"All, all Filipinos. Ang Abu Sayyaf, mag-report lang kayo sa military, sila ang mag-bakuna sa inyo (For the ASG, just report to the military and they will be the ones who will administer the vaccine to you)," he added.

But for the NPA, the President seemed to have a different reason for allowing them to receive the vaccine.

"The vaccine is available to every Filipino citizen, including the communist NPAs so that you can fight better and you are healthy because I know that you will die," Duterte said.

Duterte told the communist rebels during the meeting which coincided with their 52nd founding anniversary that they will surely die if they continue with their nefarious acts.

"'Pag hindi talaga kayo naghinto, mamamatay talaga kayo lahat (If you do not stop, you will really die). That's the... That's the gospel truth of it all," he said.

"In the name of humanity, we will not deny kasi ano 'yan eh (we will not deny you the vaccine because you are Filipinos). (But this is) just to make you healthy so that you will die," he added.

The Anti-Terrorism Council has  designated the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA as terrorists. 

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