MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte said he might impose another lockdown, this time "stricter," if coronavirus infections surge again due to more contagious COVID-19 variants and violations of health protocols.

New, more contagious coronavirus variants "make our job doubly hard to do," Duterte said in a taped speech that aired on Tuesday.

"Ang pag-asa natin is really the obedience, parang (like a) boy scout. You want to end the danger of COVID-19 engulfing this country," the President said. "Kapag hindi, napipilitan talaga ako na to impose lockdowns and everything."

(If not, I will be forced to impose lockdowns and everything.)

"Under other circumstances, sabihin ko ayaw ko. But these things are for your own good and if you, hindi n'yo sumusunod and may resurgence naman 'tas the new variants, mapipilitan talaga akong mag-impose ng lockdown, maybe stricter this time because hindi natin alam anong variant 'yan," he added.

(Under other circumstances, I will say no. But these things are for your own good and if you don't obey, there's a resurgence and new variants, I will be forced to impose a lockdown, maybe stricter this time because we do not know what that variant is.)

The Philippines has confirmed at least 12 cases of the COVID-19 variant first detected in India. The World Health Organization has classified the coronavirus variant, known as B.1.617, as a variant of global concern with some preliminary studies showing that it spreads more easily.

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The Philippines has also previously recorded cases of a variant first detected in Britain and another first discovered in South Africa, as well as a homegrown P.3 variant.

Some 24 million people in Metro Manila and surrounding Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal wrestled with the toughest of 4 lockdown levels from late March until mid-April.

Duterte has since downgraded the area's lockdown status. The region, which government calls NCR Plus, is under general community quarantine with "heightened" restrictions until May 31.

The Philippines has the second-highest number of COVID-19 cases and casualties in Southeast Asia, next to Indonesia. — With a report from Reuters

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