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Lawyers' groups: Duterte jail threat vs COVID-19 vaccine opposers has no legal basis

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/06/17/20210614-duterete-iatf-ho-1-2.jpg"/><figcaption>President Rodrigo Duterte talks to the people after holding a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Malacañang Golf (Malago) Clubhouse in Malacañang Park, Manila on June 14, 2021. King Rodriguez, Presidential Photo/File</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte&#x27;s threat of sending those who refuse COVID-19 vaccination to jail has no legal basis, lawyers&#x27; groups said Wednesday.There is no law that mandates Filipinos to get inoculated against the coronavirus, Philippine Bar Association president Rico Domingo said.&quot;The President himself is a lawyer, a former prosecutor and therefore, he should know what the law is all about,&quot; he told Teleradyo.Should authorities insist on arresting those who won&#x27;t volunteer for vaccination, Domingo said this violates their constitutional right to privacy.&quot;We are in a democratic system and any draconian measure would certainly imperil the constitutional rights of the people,&quot; he said.Domingo called on the government to focus instead their efforts to educating the public about the benefits of getting the jab.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/22/21/duterte-get-vaccinated-or-ill-send-you-to-jail">Duterte: Get vaccinated or I’ll send you to jail</a></li></ul>The head of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines had a parallel take.&quot;What is prevailing in our country is kung gusto mo magpabakuna, bibigyan ka ng bakuna. Kung ayaw mo may karapatan ka na huwag magpabakuna,&quot; said Domingo Cayosa. (What is prevailing in our country is if you want to get vaccinated, you will get one. If you don&#x27;t want to, you have the right not to get vaccinated.)He said arrest as punishment for those who refuse to get vaccinated may only be possible if Congress passes a law providing for this. &quot;Hindi puwedeng i-invoke ng Pangulo na mayroong crisis na kinakaharap ang bansa. Kahit may emergency, rule of law pa rin ang namamayani... Puwede siguro hingin niya sa Kongreso i-certify nya na urgent bill &#x27;yan at kung papayag ang Congress, maglalabas sila ng bagong batas, thereafter puwedeng ipatupad o ipakulong,&quot; Cayosa said. (The President can invoke the crisis we&#x27;re facing to effect this. Even in an emergency, rule of law prevails. He probably can ask Congress to certify as urgent such a bill, if Congress agrees it can make a new law and thereafter, it can be enforced.)In a televised address Monday, Duterte threatened to jail people who decline to be inoculated against the coronavirus.&quot;Mamili kayo, magpabakuna kayo o ipakulong ko kayo sa selda,&quot; he said.(You choose— get vaccinated or I&#x27;ll send you to jail.)<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/22/21/doj-on-duterte-threat-vaccination-not-a-crime-arrest">Refusing vaccination not a crime, says DOJ after Duterte threat</a></li></ul>The Department of Justice has said refusing vaccination is not a crime.Under Philippine law, an act is not considered a crime and no one is criminally responsible unless a law says so at the time it was committed.Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra justified Duterte&#x27;s remark, saying the President was using strong words so the country could reach herd immunity as soon as possible.<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1712326" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte's threat of sending those who refuse COVID-19 vaccination to jail has no legal basis, lawyers' groups said Wednesday.

MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte's threat of sending those who refuse COVID-19 vaccination to jail has no legal basis, lawyers' groups said Wednesday.