May the 4th be with you to stay in: Darth Vader enforces Covid-19 lockdown in the Philippines

Darth Vader and his stormtroopers swapped spaceships for riverboats as they made their way around Malabon City on the outskirts of Manila as local authorities tried to enforce the coronavirus lockdown.

The representatives of the galactic empire, or local officials in self-made disguise, were met with smiles and waves as they brought some light-hearted fun in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Muriel Baldago, an elected official dressed up like a stormtrooper, explained they were enforcing the government guidelines and delivering relief packages to residents in the permanently flooded Artex Compound area of the city.

“We tell off residents who still go outdoors without the proper quarantine passes needed and also those who do not wear face masks,” he said.

“We make sure the government guidelines are properly followed.”

May the Fourth is known worldwide as ‘Star Wars Day’, owing to it sounds like the phrase “may the Force be with you” from the popular sci-fi franchise.

The Philippines’ major cities are under a strict lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus in the Asian country that has so far recorded 9,485 cases and 623 deaths from Covid-19.