President Rodrigo Duterte said on Tuesday it is legal for employers to reject job applicants who are not yet vaccinated against COVID-19.
"Ang importante lang naman sa kanya (employer), bakunado ka o hindi. Kung hindi ka bakunado hindi ka tanggapin sa trabaho - I think that is legal," Duterte said in his taped weekly "Talk to the People."
(What is important for them (employers) is if you are vaccinated or not. If you are not vaccinated, you will not be accepted for a job - I think that is legal.)
According to the president, employers have the "right to refuse" unvaccinated applicants from joining their workplaces.
"You have the right to refuse to accept as an employee somebody who is not vaccinated and would go and join the rest of the employees in the factory or whatever workplace you have," he said.
Duterte's statement is in contrast with the instruction of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), which previously said that requiring vaccinations for employment "has no basis in law."
The Department of Justice (DOJ) also made a similar stand on the issue.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said employers cannot force their staff to get vaccinated, citing a provision in the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021.
