MANILA, Philippines—In a late night address on June 21, President Rodrigo Duterte made this remark: “Don’t get me wrong. There is a crisis being faced in this country. There is a national emergency. You choose—get a vaccine or make me send you to jail?”
Duterte’s warning of jail time for people who would refuse vaccines drew immediate reactions from critics and allies alike. Critics said sending people to jail for that reason was unconstitutional. The President’s chief legal counsel, Salvador Panelo, said jail time for those refusing vaccines is not entirely baseless.
Just hours after the President made the remark, however, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque was on air, …
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