Duterte blames fake news for vaccine hesitancy in some regions

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday blamed the spread of false information on coronavirus vaccines for the low turnout of immunization in some areas of the country.

“Ang problema kasi itong false news. It can spread immediately and the problem is may mga taong naniniwala. So walang mga caveat, there’s not warning basta mababasa nila na ganoon,” Duterte said during the weekly Talk to the People.

(The problem is false news. It can spread immediately and the problem is some people believe it. There’s no caveat, no warning as long as they read it.)

“I hope I am addressing the entire nation kasi mahalaga ito sa buhay natin,” he said.

(I hope I am addressing the entire nation because this is important for us.)

Duterte acknowledged the government is finding it difficult to curb the proliferation of disinformation either through “private communication” or with those who are against the government such as the Communist Party of the Philippines–New People's Army (CPP-NPA).

“There’s no way we can really go up against the panic, hatred … specially, yung mga kalaban ng government like CPP-NPA,” he said. “They’ve been feeding the public with kung ano-anong kasinungalingan. Ang hinihingi ko lang po sa inyo, I said I'm on my last stretch so I can only give you the things that can make this country better for everybody.”

(There’s no way we can really go up against the panic, hatred … specially, if government enemies like the CPP-NPA. They’ve been feeding the public with lies. All I ask of you as I said, I’m on my last stretch so I can only give you the things that can make this country better for everybody.)

The President did not provide further details on the affected region or sector.

Last week, vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. reported the administration is exerting efforts to boost the COVID-19 vaccination in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Among these are the tapping of Mosques as vaccination sites and incentivizing immunization.

Duterte, for his part,  encouraged the Muslim people to receive their jabs saying other Islamic countries including the United Arab Emirates and Dubai have been inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine.—LDF, GMA News