Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered community leaders to hunt, detain and arrest unvaccinated people who leave their homes as Covid-19 infections mark quarterly record in the archipelago, according to his spokesperson on Friday.
Duterte issued the order during a meeting with the pandemic response task force on Thursday evening, spokesman Karlo Nograles said.
“I now order the village chiefs to look for people who are not vaccinated and ask them to stay in place“, declared the president during this meeting.”And if so and so refuses, leaves his home and goes to the community … he can be detained“, he added. “And if he refuses, then the village chief being a person of authority is empowered to arrest the recalcitrant person“.
The spokesperson asserted that the directive is in place nationwide and insisted that the population submit to the authorities. “These measures covering the unvaccinated are to protect our people, because not being vaccinated poses a risk for everyone“.
Authorities in the capital region, covering 13 million people, have previously imposed new restrictions to limit the travel and activities of people who have not been vaccinated, allowing them to leave their homes only for reasons essential.
The capital and its periphery have been placed under a strict level of alert since the beginning of January in the face of rampant contamination due to gatherings during the holiday season and the presence of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
This alert level will be extended to 14 other areas of the country as of Sunday.