Duterte silent over candidate who uses cocaine

MANILA: The office of Philippines leader Rodrigo Duterte declined to disclose the identity on Friday of an election candidate accused by the president of using cocaine, shiting the onus back to Duterte to name the individual himself.

Duterte, who waged a war on drugs that killed thousands of users and peddlers, on Thursday dropped a bombshell as he revealed that a presidential candidate in the coming May 2022 elections, who belongs to a “wealthy family” and whose patriarch is “well known,” is allegedly into illegal drugs especially cocaine.

However, Duterte did not identify the candidate as he also questioned his qualifications to lead the nation as well as his contributions to national welfare describing him as a “weak leader.”

“And he is a weak leader – his character except for the name. The father (was) but him? What has he accomplished? He may win hands down okay if that’s what the Filipinos want. Go ahead as long as you know.”

The issue was a hit on Philippines social media on Friday, with speculation on the mystery candidate running wild, including under the hashtag #solidsnort.

“On naming the said individual, we will leave it to the sound judgment of the president,” his acting spokesperson Karlo Nograles told a regular news conference. Nograles said police knew their mandate on illicit drugs, which they equally apply.

“If a person violated the law then that person should be arrested and prosecuted immediately,” he said.

A police spokesperson said they had no idea who the president was referring to.

Duterte’s speech was a departure from previous times when he would publicly identify politicians he accused of involvement in illegal drugs, some of whom were later killed.

In Thursday’s speech, Duterte, 76, who is barred by the constitution from seeking a second term, described the unnamed candidate as a “very weak leader” and someone who “might win hands down.”

Dozens of people have registered to run for president, the most prominent of which are boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, Vice President Leni Robredo, Manila mayor Francisco Domagoso, Senator Panfilio Lacson, Duterte’s closest aide Christopher Go, and Ferdinand Marcos Jr, son and namesake of the late dictator, whose running mate is Duterte’s daughter.

Taking questions from media on Friday, the election commission said substance abuse was not grounds for disqualifying candidates. Pacquiao on Friday said he supported drug testing candidates.

MANILA: A total of 800,000 Filipino minors, aged 12 to 17, have been administered coronavirus vaccine jabs as a vital component in the government’s expanded inoculation programme, a top health department official said on Friday.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that only 0.10 per cent of those vaccinated have experienced adverse reaction, mostly mild. The government targets more than 10 million minors in that age category for the programme.

“As of Nov.17, we were able to vaccinate over 800,000 adolescents. We had adverse reactions of 0.10 per cent of the 800,000 adolescents and most of those reactions were mild,” Vergeire told an online media briefing in a mix of Filipino and English.

The reactions, she said, included pain at the injection site, dizziness, headache and mild allergic reactions. She also urged parents to allow their children, especially those aged 12 to 17, to get inoculated so they can also be protected from the virus.

At the same time, Dr Rontgene Solante, a medical expert, advised fully vaccinated senior citizens, aged 60 and above, as well as persons with comorbidities (ailments like diabetes and hypertension) not to wait for 10 months from the second COVID-19 vaccine dose to get their booster shot.

On Wednesday, the government ramped up its campaign for booster shots with about 1.6 million fully vaccinated medical frontliners such as doctors and nurses on top of the list. Officials said next in line are senior citizens and persons with comorbidities.

“Timing is important,” said Solante, also a member of the health department’s vaccine expert panel in a TV Interview. He explained that ater completing the vaccination, there is a gradual decrease in protection by the sixth month regardless of the vaccine brand.

As such, booster shots are needed, Solante said, citing studies which showed that antibodies double or even triple ater a booster shot is given. “There’s still a semblance of protection ater seven or eight months,” he said of those fully vaccinated with any brand.