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Palace: No decision yet from President on diverting Cebu-bound flights to NAIA


Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Monday said President Rodrigo Duterte has yet to decide whether to extend or not the order to divert Cebu-bound international flights to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

However, since the order to divert such flights to NAIA covered only those until June 12, Roque said in the absence of a new circular from Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, flights may proceed to Cebu.

"That was until yesterday. Ngayon po, in the absence of any new circular from the executive secretary, I suppose po ay tuloy na po ang flights pa-Cebu," Roque said in an interview on GMA News' Unang Hirit.

International flights bound for Cebu were diverted to NAIA from May 29 to June 5, and again from then on to June 12.

The move was based on the memorandum issued by Medialdea following the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

Cebu had quarantine protocols for returning Filipinos and overseas Filipino workers which are different from those issued by the IATF. 

Cebu subjects returning Filipinos and OFWs to RT-PCR test upon arrival, and allows them to go home when they test negative for COVID-19.

Under the IATF-approved quarantine protocols, returning Filipinos and OFWs are subjected to an RT-PCR test on the seventh day of quarantine in a government facility. Once they tested negative, they will finish the remainder of the 14-day quarantine at home.

"Hindi ko pa alam ang magiging mangyayari sa ating flight protocols kasi naintindihan ko naman na 'yung arrival protocols sa Cebu po ay dahil sa isang ordinansa. Hindi po 'yan mababawi ng isang governor lamang," Roque said.

"At the same time, 'yung posisyon ko as spokesperson ay dapat ipatupad ang mga polisiya ng IATF," he said.

"So i think the matter is within the cognizance of the President dahil nagpatawag naman po ng pagpupulong ang Presidente. Pinatawag si Governor Gwen Garcia at sabi ng Presidente at that time, dapat magbigay ng critique ang DOH [Department of Health] at ayun ang last on the matter," Roque said.

"Antayin po natin ang desisyon ng Presidente," he added.

The Mactan Cebu International Airport has yet to release guidelines regarding the matter, according to a report on News TV Live on Sunday.

 

—KG, GMA News

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