Manila (dpa) - A man in the Philippines was at a corona checkpoint because of a missing face mask in an argument with the local officials and was shot.
The 63-year-old had reacted aggressively in the village of Nasipit in the south of the island state to the fact that he had to wear a face mask and attack the staff with a scythe, a police report said on Saturday. A police officer who wanted to calm the apparently drunk man killed him.
President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday that he was ordering the police and military to shoot anyone who was causing trouble. On Friday, he defended this stance in a television speech. The public must recognize the seriousness of the situation, because everyone can contract the corona virus, he said.
The main island of the Philippines, Luzon, has been under a curfew since March 16, only the most necessary aisles, for example to the supermarket or to work, are allowed. Many other provinces have their own restrictions to prevent the virus from spreading. According to the health authority, almost 3100 people across the country have been infected with Sars-CoV-2, which can trigger the lung disease Covid-19. 144 people died.
"Without these restrictions, this will never end," Duterte said in the TV address. "So if you don't want to follow, I'll finish you up to protect the lives of the innocent who don't want to die." The human rights organization Amnesty International criticized, autocratic politicians like Duterte are currently using the corona pandemic worldwide "to further suppress criticism and dissent."