MANILA, Philippines — In his usual facetious mood, President Rodrigo Duterte jokingly asked the military to use a bayonet—instead of a syringe —to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to his enemies.
“’Yung mga kalaban ko sabihin ko sa military, ‘do not use the needle, bayoneta ang gamitin mo’,” Duterte said in a taped speech aired Friday morning.
The President let loose of such a remark as he ordered the military to lead the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine once it becomes available.
He also assured that drug users and addicts will not be given the coronavirus vaccine.
“Mga drug pusher, mga drug addict I will not use my…ibigay ko nalang sa ibang lugar na pobre. (Mga) Drug pusher wala kayo. May listahan yung ano diyan,” he said.
On Thursday, the Philippines logged a record-high 3,954 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total caseload to 89,374. Meanwhile, 65,064 have recovered while 1,983 have died.