Palace warns mayors against ditching COVID-19 face shield policy

The Palace on Monday warned mayors against defying the mandatory face shield policy for crowded and enclosed spaces, saying the policy remained in effect unless the government's pandemic task force says otherwise.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque issued the reminder after the cities of Davao, Manila, Iloilo, among others, scrapped the policy outside of a hospital setting.

"As it is, those [decisions by local governments] are null and void for being in violation of an existing executive policy decreed by the President. Ang desisyon po ng IATF, ay desisyon din ng Presidente. So ang desisyon po ngayon ay kailangan ipatupad muna ang mga face shields habang pinagaaralan po," Roque said.

(The decision of the IATF is also the President's decision. The decision, for the moment, is to implement the mandatory use of face shields while discussions on doing away with it are ongoing.)

"Mayors are under the supervision of the President. Let us follow the chain of command," Roque added.

Roque then said that the mandatory use of a face shield won't last forever.

"Hindi naman po natin sinasabi na hindi tatanggalin ‘yan pero ‘antayin naman po natin ang desisyon ng IATF," Roque explained.

(We are not saying that we are not going to end the face shield requirement, but we should wait for the IATF's decision.)

"Konting pasensiya lang po," Roque added.

(We ask for a little patience.)

Earlier in the day, Chairperson Benjamin Abalos of the Metro Manila Development Authority said that Metro Manila mayors agreed that the use of a face shield was optional.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said earlier they needed a week to study if the face shield requirement should be ditched amid the lower number of COVID-19 cases. — DVM, GMA News