Duterte: P10 million to Pinoy who can discover vaccine

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte has offered up to P10 million as reward to anyone who can find a way to defeat “public enemy number one.”

No, he is not offering a bounty for terrorists or drug lords. The reward is being offered to anyone who can develop a cure for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has infected more than 6,000 people in the country and sidelined thousands of workers and businesses.

“Because COVID-19 is public enemy number one not only in the Philippines, but also in the whole world, the President is announcing that he will give a reward of up to P10 million to any Filipino who can discover a vaccine against COVID-19,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said at a press briefing yesterday.

Roque said Duterte has also vowed to provide a “substantial grant” to the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital for the development of the vaccine.

Duterte had offered bounties for people he perceives to be threats to national security and public order.

Last year, the President threatened to offer P1-million bounty for each heinous crime convict released prematurely. He had also offered bounties to those who can provide information that would lead to the arrest of suspected killers, communist rebels and leaders of extremist groups.

Earlier this month, Duterte said a large pharmaceutical firm is developing a cure against COVID-19 and expressed hope that the vaccine would be available in the market by May.

The President has also urged member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to work together in finding a medicine for the pandemic.

“In the fullness of God’s time, the antibodies and the vaccines will come,” Duterte said in a public address last April 16.

Senate welcomes vaccine reward

Senators welcomed Duterte’s offer.

Sen. Grace Poe said Duterte’s “initiative is a clear shoutout to Filipino excellence and ingenuity in this time of crisis.”

“More than this, it is a call to the Filipinos’ innate good nature and sense of humanity to create a cure that can be a game-changer in the history of medicine to bring hope and normalcy to our daily lives,” Poe said.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said it was OK to have a reward.

“But I would prefer getting our scientists together to develop a better COVID-19 rapid test kit and a vaccine and to be part of a global effort in doing the same,” Recto said. – With Paolo Romero

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