MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte said Filipinos cannot choose which COVID-19 vaccine brand they would get from government.

Vaccines approved by the drug regulator "are all potent, they are all effective," Duterte said in a taped speech that aired on Tuesday.

"There will be no discrimination at saka hindi kayo makapili kung ano ang bakuna. Pareho lahat 'yan. 'Di kayo makasabi [Astra]Zeneca sa akin, Moderna–no," said the President.

(You will not get to choose which vaccine to use. Those are all the same. You cannot say mine is AstraZeneca or Moderna. No.)

"Kung ano ang nasa harap ninyo, ‘yon na. Do not ask for a special kind of–kasi bulto por bulto 'yan ibigay... It leaves a bad taste in the mouth," he added.

(What ever is in front of you, that's it. Do not ask for a special kind of–because those are given in bulk.)

Duterte said most well-off people wait for US-made vaccines, like those from Pfizer and Moderna.

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"Sabi ko hindi mangyari 'yan. You cannot have–kung anong nasa harap n’yo, que milyonaryo ka o ano, iyon na 'yong iyo. Hindi ka mamili," he said.

(I said that would not happen. You cannot have–whatever is in front of you, whether you're a millionaire or whatever, that's yours. You cannot choose.)

He said vaccine "czar" Carlito Galvez Jr would distribute COVID-19 jabs "with a blind eye sa (for) brand."

"There's no reason for you, really, to be choosy about it," said the President.

"Ayaw kong magkaroon ng storya na may pinapapaboran kami na ito, ito. Wala. Maski saang subdivision ka na mayaman o anong lugar dito sa North Harbor, pareho kayo lahat. Hindi ako papayag na magpili-pili."

(I do not want there to be a story that we favor this, that. Whatever subdivision you live in, wealthy or what's that place here in Nort Harbor, you're all the same. I will not allow picking.)

Duterte last year said he preferred vaccines from China or Russia. Earlier this month, he took a vaccine jab from Chinese state firm Sinopharm.

• Duterte gets vaccinated against COVID-19

"Sa awa ng Diyos, okay naman," he said of his vaccine choice.

(With God's mercy, it is okay.)

The Philippines has so far received 7.779 million COVID-19 shots, the bulk of which is from Beijing-based Sinovac Biotech. Authorities have administered at least 2,959,829 of these doses.

• Philippines: COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker

Video courtesy of PTV