Duterte upheld public health by keeping one-meter physical distancing in public transpo -Palace

President Rodrigo Duterte acted in the best interest of the people when he retained the policy of one-meter distance between passengers in public transport, Malacañang said Monday.

Duterte over the weekend ended the debate on whether to ease physical distancing in public transport which according to his spokesperson Harry Roque was “decided in a manner that would uphold public health over and above all other considerations.”

Earlier, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said the one-meter distance would be optimized to 0.75 meters beginning September 14. It could be further reduced to 0.5 meters after two weeks, and to 0.3 meters after another two weeks.

DOTr’s move drew mixed reactions with medical professionals and government officials arguing for or against it. Some medical experts said the reduced physical distance could trigger a spike in COVID-19 cases.

The Philippines’ COVID-19 task force then held a meeting last Thursday during which Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade announced the implementation was put on hold to give Duterte ample time to resolve the issue.—AOL, GMA News