“I will bury you”, or the “soft” method of the Philippine president against the Covid-19

Text by: Vincent Souriau

True to his muscular style, Rodrigo Duterte issued a brutal warning against the coronavirus. The President of the Philippines warns that anyone violating the rules of containment runs the risk of being shot by the police.

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“ Everyone must cooperate. Stay confined because I gave orders, ”insists Rodrigo Duterte. " I warned the police and the army: if the offenders resist or are aggressive, kill them by bullets ... I will bury you, " he said, " if you cause disturbances to public order ".

It's a classic at Rodrigo Duterte, the threat and the rudeness. But we felt it this time very uplifted after the violence suffered by several caregivers. Nurses, doctors were sprayed with bleach on the street as they left the hospital, nursing assistants were beaten.

For fear of contamination, part of the population has the wrong reflex: to attack those who care for the sick. The government is now asking the security forces to accompany them as far as possible to their homes. Psychosis is gaining ground and so is the epidemic: to date, nearly 2,500 cases have been identified in the Philippines and half of the country is in containment

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• Philippines
• Rodrigo Duterte
• Coronavirus
• Containment