"I want the narratives to come up. Not necessarily from the — well, of course, they count very much but it won't be limited to Congress. Ordinary people can have their say," Duterte said.

The Commission on Human Rights has called for improved conditions in detention centers for juvenile offenders, after an outbreak of the coronavirus was declared in a Davao City facility that led to minors being infected.

Active cases represent 5.7% or 32,437 of the country’s confirmed cases.

"The reality is impunity and escalating human rights abuses, a determined affront to the efforts of the UN Human Rights Council and the whole international community."

Doses of China's Sinovac will arrive in the Philippines on the last day of February, Malacañang said Thursday, making it the first COVID-19 vaccine to reach the country.

In a statement Thursday, Daguimol, a lawyer, said he has “deemed it proper” to withdraw his signature from the controversial resolution.

The former military general said only 5.1 million of the 161 million doses expected this year will arrive in the country in the first quarter. The bulk of the doses will only come in the second half.

"I'm not trying to pontificate, but in the meantime, it is better to follow the government and wear a mask. It can save you a lot of trouble and expense," Duterte said in mixed Filipino and English. 

Groups on Thursday urged Filipinos to resist threats to democracy and scored rights violations in the country as the Philippines marks 35 years since the removal of ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

The Tugon ng Masa survey showed that out of 1,200 respondents only 19% of adult Filipinos are inclined to get vaccinated against COVID-19, while 46% will opt out even as the country awaits the arrival of the critical goods.