MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police will no longer allow antivaccine mass actions as the home affairs office tasked cops to identify participants in the rally staged by protesters over the weekend in Manila.
A group of antivaxxers, Gising Maharlika, staged a protest action at Liwasang Bonifacio claiming that the pandemic was not real and alleging that people were dying from the vaccine.
The protesters also flouted laws requiring the wearing of face masks and face shields. Interior Secretary Eduardo Año stressed on Sunday, “We cannot let freedom of expression excuse [the group] from violating the minimum public health standards and the alert level system we’re testing.”
Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, chief of the PNP, warned antivaxxers that they would not be allowed to hold future mass actions if they persist on putting at risk public safety against COVID-19.