LGUs must comply with national gov’t rules on use of face shields

Local government units must adjust their ordinances on the use of face shields to match the national government’s decision on the matter amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

According to Vonne Aquino’s report on “24 Oras Weekend,” Inter-Agency Task Force co-chairperson Secretary Karlo Nograles said President Rodrigo Duterte currently has a memorandum on the use of face shields.

“Apart from ‘yung sinabi ni Pangulo na hospitals, may idadagdag din doon sa memo na list nung places kung saan kailangan mag soot ng face shield,” he said.

(Apart from the what President said on hospitals, the memo includes other places where the use of face shields is mandatory.)

“So completely and clearly, makikita natin doon saan lang talaga… na dapat mandatory magsoot ng face shield. All other places, it won’t be mandatory. Kumbaga, magiging ano na lang siya… voluntary,” he added.

(So completely and clearly, we can see places where use is mandatory. All other places, it won’t be mandatory. It will be voluntary.)

Malacañang on Thursday said the President’s statement on the wearing of face shields on top of face masks only in hospitals is considered policy.

Nograles said local governments must adjust their ordnances.

“It cannot be over and beyond ‘yung policy ng national, no? You cannot have LGUs na mas strict ‘yung guidance or ‘yung enforcement kaysa sa ano, kasi magkakalituhan, eh,” he said.

(It cannot be over and beyond ‘yung policy ng national. You cannot have LGUs with stricter guidance or enforcement because it will lead to confusion.)

Meanwhile, the Metro Manila Council said it has yet to tackle the issue.

“Ang mag mayors, may kaniya-kaniyang pananaw dito… it’s better for the IATF since they got experts there. At, of course, mapag-uusapang maiigi ito,” Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Benhur Abalos said.

(The mayors have varying views on this. It’s better for the IATF since they have experts there. Of course, we will talk about this.)

For its part, the Philippine National Police said it will only remind individuals without face shields instead of arresting them as long as there is no final decision on the policy. — Joahna Lei Casilao/DVM, GMA News