President Rodrigo Roa Duterte warned that the government may implement stricter health protocols if more individuals fail to comply with the minimum health standards.
In his weekly public address on Monday (June 7), President Duterte shared that he has personally observed many people violating the health protocols in Visayas and Mindanao.
“We might calibrate our response to the intransigence that you will show. Depende sa [gagawin] ninyo. Kung talagang ayaw ninyong sumunod, then we can go into marami, marami. Ayaw ko lang sabihin but we have the power to control it actually kung ginusto lang namin pahirapan ang tao.”
Duterte agreed with Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo on filing charges against the violators such as murder.
“Pumunta siya sa isang lugar, alam niyang may sakit siya ng coronavirus at nakahawa siya at namatay, ay ‘yan po ay talagang sadyang pagpatay ‘yan. Papasok po ‘yan sa murder sapagkat intentional,” Panelo said.
The Chief Executive asserted that “for as long as people do not honor the protocols prescribed by the government,” COVID-19 will not end.
Report from Mela Lesmoras/NGS-rir
