Less than a week before the 2022 elections, President Duterte urged the public to get their booster shots to protect themselves against Covid-19 when they cast their vote on May 9.
Duterte made the statement amid projections of a surge in coronavirus cases after the elections on Monday.
In his "Talk to the People," aired Tuesday morning, the president said voters qualified for a booster shot must get the jab to protect themselves from possible coronavirus infections in polling places where there will be crowding.
While the booster shots might not 100-percent guarantee that there will be no Covid-19 reinfection, Duterte pointed out that these jabs could help protect the people from the coronavirus and its effects.
"It can protect you, and you can vote there without any --- sans the worry about getting the infection again," he said.
The chief executive added that the booster shots were still available, and anybody could have them because it was election time.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III echoed President Duterte's call to get vaccinated, urging the public not to wait for a surge to happen before they line up for their jab.
"Kapag ka ganoon ang nangyari, mahaba na naman ang pila, puno na naman po ang mga vaccination sites (If that happens, there will be long queues and our vaccination sites would be full)," he said.
"Ang mga doktor at mga nurses, at mga vaccinators po natin ay puntahan din naman ng mga hospital dahil kung may surge ang mga tao ay takbuhan nila ang mga ospital (Our doctors, nurses, and vaccinations would go to hospital since that's the place people would go to should a surge happen)," he added.
He particularly asked the public to keep in mind mask-wearing, handwashing, and physical distancing protocols.
"So better, again, remember when you go to the electoral precincts, kindly tell yourself that you have to remember the things that government wants you to follow. So that hindi masyado tayo mahirapan (we won't have too much trouble) and we will prevent another surge," he added.
"We can only interdict the surge in the future by the simple washing of the hands, ang mask importante talaga ‘yan (and masks are important)," he continued.
According to the President, Filipinos must not be complacent and follow the government's policies as Covid-19 is going nowhere soon.
"It is here with us for all time also. The only way that we can get rid of it is we have a concerted effort, cooperate with the government sa mga sinasabi namin kung ano ang mabuti (on what we say), the things that we advise the people to follow because it is intended solely really for one purpose and that is for the welfare of the people," Duterte said.