The Palace expressed support on the ''no vaxx, no ride'' policy that will be implemented by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Monday.

In a radio interview, Acting Presidential Spokesman Karlo Nograles said the DOTr policy aims to protect unvaccinated people from being infected with COVID-19.

"The government's position on that is really to protect the unvaccinated so whether it's President (Rodrigo) Duterte who is speaking or even in DOTr... it's for the protection of the unvaccinated because we really see that, 85 percent of those in ICU are unvaccinated, 73 percent of those in the hospital are unvaccinated," he said.

"The data is clear. If you are unvaccinated, there (is a) big chance that if you get infected with COVID-19, you might be hospitalized... whether it's Omicron, Delta or whatever variant, so it is for the protection of the unvaccinated," he added.

Nograles said the policy is also important to protect workers in the transportation sector.

"It is really for the protection also of those in the transport sector, the driver, conductor or worker in the transport sector plus for the protection of the unvaccinated," he said.

"The same with the President Duterte when he ordered the barangay to not let the unvaccinated go out... it's for the protection of the unvaccinated ," he added. Robina Asido/DMS