Philippine leader Duterte rejects bid to ease quarantine curbs without Covid-19 vaccine roll-out, SE Asia

MANILA – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday (Feb 22) rejected his own Covid-19 pandemic task force's calls to ease quarantine curbs to revive a stalled economy, unless the government could get a vaccine roll-out going. "No vaccine roll-out, no MGCQ," Mr Duterte's closest aide, Senator Bong Go, said in a text message to reporters, referring to a modified general community quarantine that would have lifted many of the restrictions that have been in place since a sweeping three-month lockdown early last year. Mr Duterte's spokesman, Mr Harry Roque, later said in a statement that Mr Duterte "gives higher premium…