Philippines’ Duterte Wants Soldiers to Get COVID-19 Vaccine First
By Andreo Calonzo and Cecilia Yap
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he wants the poor, soldiers and police officers to receive the first shots of the coronavirus vaccine once available.
“I need my soldiers and policemen healthy. They are really vital to the security of the state,” Duterte said in an address aired Wednesday. Vaccines from China and Russia will be prioritized, he said, adding that Moscow has expressed intention to set up a pharmaceutical plant in the Philippines.
The Philippines, which has the most infections in Southeast Asia at nearly 347,000, has the funds to buy the vaccine, Duterte said.
Its capital region has brought down active coronavirus cases to 7,800 from 20,000, while Cebu City has managed to keep its case count down after government disallowed patients to quarantine at home, virus task force chief Carlito Galvez said in the same briefing.
© 2020 Bloomberg L.P.
