Police, military still priorities in COVID-19 vaccination — Duterte

The police and the military will be prioritized in receiving the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine, President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday night.

“I need a healthy military and police kasi ‘pag magkasakit lahat ‘yan, wala na akong asahan, wala na akong mautusan na gawin ‘to, gawin ‘yon,” Duterte said in his taped public address.

“As I have said, try to understand the police and the military. They are really the errand (boys) of the republic,” he added.

The chief executive also said that poor Filipinos will also be the priority.

In August, Duterte said uniformed personnel and the poorest families in the country will be prioritized in the COVID-19 vaccination program.

In the same August address, Duterte also 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.

Last week, vaccine czar and National Task Force COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. said vaccine experts in the country already ranked 17 possible sources of the COVID-19 vaccines from different countries.

Galvez said several private companies have also committed to donate COVID-19 vaccines to the government. -- BAP, GMA News