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Rodrigo Duterte: 'I'm

not joking - clean masks
with petrol'
31 July 2020

EPA

Mr Duterte giving a state of the nation address earlier

this week, before his latest comments

Philippines' president Rodrigo Duterte has once

again told people to disinfect their face masks
with petrol - insisting he was "not joking".

He had made similar remarks last week - but

officials were quick to correct him, and suggested it
was a joke.

Health officials also said cloths masks should be

washed normally, and surgical masks replaced aFer
use.

But on Friday, the president doubled down - saying

"what I've said was true... go to a gasoline station".

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There is no evidence that gasoline can disinfect

masks; having prolonged contact with it can be
harmful; and pouring flammable liquids can be a
fire risk.

What did Mr Duterte say?

Referring to his earlier comments, Mr Duterte said:
"They [critics] said, 'Duterte's insane.' Stupid! If I'm
insane, you should be the president, not me.

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"What I've said was true. If alcohol isn't available,

especially for the poor, just go to a gasoline station,
and use [gas] to disinfect.

"I am not joking. I am not joking. You… you try to

get inside my brain."

Duterte: The 'strongman' of the Philippines

Duterte’s 'work from home' raises health

questions

What did he say last week?

Mr Duterte said those who didn't have cleaning
supplies could use gasoline as a disinfectant to
clean their masks.

"At the end of the day, hang [the mask] somewhere

and spray it with Lysol if you can afford it," he said,
referencing a popular disinfectant brand.

"For people who don't [have Lysol], drench it in

gasoline or diesel... just find some gasoline [and]
dip your hand [with the mask] in it."

AFer last week's comments, presidential

spokesman Harry Roque quickly corrected him.

"I can't believe that aFer four years of him as

president, you still don't know [him]," said Mr
Roque, according to news site Rappler.

"[It's only a] joke. Why would we use gasoline for

washing?"

Meanwhile, health official Maria Rosario Vergeire

said cloth masks should be washed and dried
normally, and surgical masks replaced aFer use.

In February - shortly aFer the Philippines became

the first country to register a Covid-19 death
outside China - President Duterte moved to
downplay the issue, saying the virus would
eventually "die a natural death."

But aFer a month-long lull in recorded cases - a

period which critics say wasn't used effectively to
mass test and contact trace cases - numbers began
to rise.

President Duterte declared the lockdown of the

country's main island Luzon in early March.

He used special powers granted to him by Congress

to realign national budgets and put soldiers on the
streets to tackle the crisis.

To do so, he was required to update the nation each

week with a national address.

The president made the addresses late at night. He

was oFen late to start, and was criticised on social
media for being rambling and confusing, and at
times veering off topic to threaten his enemies.

Mr Duterte's former spokesman, Harry Roque, was

brought back to manage the message - and the
evening addresses began to be edited and released
the following morning.

A YouGov online survey found that Filipinos who

rated the Duterte government's response to the
virus as "very well" or "somewhat well" fell from
72% in May to 51% on 29 June.

Filipino pollsters - who have repeatedly recorded

strong approval ratings for the President - haven't
been able to do door-to-door surveys during the
outbreak.

Although compared to other Covid-19 global

hotspots, the Philippines' numbers of recorded
cases and deaths are lower, so too are testing
figures - with only around 1% of the population
screened so far.

What is the virus situation in the

Philippines?
A daily high of 3,954 cases was recorded in the
Philippines on Thursday, bringing the total number
of cases to 89,374.

There have been just under 2,000 confirmed Covid-

related deaths.

Mr Duterte announced on Friday that restrictions in

the capital Manila would remain until mid-August.

Manila is currently under a general community

quarantine - which limits the movement of the
elderly and children, and imposes other
restrictions.

The president also promised that free vaccines

would be given out - when one is eventually
released - with lower-income Filipinos prioritised.

The Metro Manila priests fighting coronavirus with the

cross

More on this story

Duterteʼs 'work from home' raises health

questions

14 November 2019

Duterte: The 'strongman' of the Philippines

22 May 2019

Filipino health workers 'need extra protection'

24 June 2020

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