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Think you’ve got it rough being forced to shelter at home, only being able to go to places like the grocery store or the doctor? It could be worse.
You could be one of the citizens of the Philippines where their president Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the police and military to kill anyone who violates the country’s lockdown order.
Seriously. He said that.
Following several residents of a slum in Manila taking to the streets to protest a lack of supplies, including food, since being forced into self-isolation two weeks ago, Duterte appeared on TV and informed the country’s 107 million residents that if anyone else decides to ignore the lockdown order police and military have been told to “shoot them dead.”
While demanding food and financial aid, 20 individuals were arrested on Wednesday morning when a protest was dispersed by the Quezon City Police District.https://t.co/50ZKJ4QoYp
— The Philippine Star (@PhilippineStar) April 1, 2020
“I will not hesitate. My orders are to the police and military, as well as village officials, if there is any trouble, or occasions where there’s violence and your lives are in danger, shoot them dead. Is that understood? Dead. Instead of causing trouble, I will bury you,” Duterte said in a televised speech, reports CBS News. “Do not intimidate the government. Do not challenge the government. You will lose.”
He also added, “I will not hesitate my soldiers to shoot you. I will not hesitate to order the police to arrest and detain you. Now, if you are detained, I will leave it up to you to find food.”
Following Duterte’s threatening speech, Philippine National Police Chief Archie Gamboa tried to smooth things over, saying no one was going to be shot and “probably the president just overemphasized on implementing the law in this time of crisis.”
As of Friday, the Philippines’ Department of Health has reported confirmed 3,018 cases of infection in the country, with at least 136 recorded deaths.