Duterte: Uniformed personnel, 4P beneficiaries still priorities in COVID-19 vaccination program

Uniformed personnel and the poorest families in the Philippines will be prioritized in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated in a taped public address aired on Tuesday.

"Ang mauuna 'yung mga taong nasa listahan ng mga gobyerno na tumatanggap ng Pantawid. Ito 'yung mga mahirap," Duterte said, referring to the government's Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

Next to the 4P beneficiaries would be the poor families that are not on the list, he added.

Duterte, however, stressed that before them would be the uniformed personnel.

"Pero mauna sa lahat ang mga military pati pulis kasi kung walang pulis pati military, babagsak tayo. Sinong magguwardiya sa atin?" he said.

The President has announced earlier that the military would be implementing the government's free vaccine program against COVID-19.

Duterte said he does not mind getting either the first or the last shot of the vaccine.

"At 'yung mga taga-gobyerno, kung gusto ninyo ako ang mauna para magkaroon kayo ng kumpiyansa o I can be the last Filipino to get, unahin kayo lahat," he said.

"Mahuli kami, basta sigurado ang pinag-uusapan dito na hindi mahuli ang mga mahihirap," he added.

Duterte once again assured the public that a vaccine is coming soon and that he expects to receive supplies from China and Russia.

The Food and Drug Administration said last week that it has yet to receive any application to start a clinical trial for COVID-19 vaccines. —KBK, GMA News