Duterte to have COVID-19 injection on his buttocks – Palace

January 26, 2021

President Rodrigo Duterte will have his vaccine against coronavirus disease to be injected on his buttocks, his spokesman said on Tuesday.

With this, Duterte could not have his immunization to be made public, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a televised press briefing.

"I think so, he has said so. As what he said, it's because he wants his injection to be made on his buttocks, so, it cannot be made public," he explained when asked if Duterte's decision to make his COVID-19 inoculation private final.

But he acknowledged that it would boost the government's immunization program if Duterte would be the first to be inoculated.

"Well, in our communication plan, the President is important. If you notice, our campaign here at the OPS (Office of the Presidential Spokesperson), the 'ingat-buhay para sa hanapbuhay', in the end, the endorser was the President himself who said the three words - 'mask, hugas at iwas'," Roque said.

He said the Palace recognized that Duterte is the "best communicator" for the National Task Force and the anti-COVID-19 efforts. Celerina Monte/DMS