Pacquiao on contrasting gov't positions on face shield use: Parang 'di nag-uusap

Senator Manny Pacquiao on Wednesday hit the government's contrasting positions regarding the mandatory use of face shields and expressed hope that a national policy will be issued soon.

"I hope the Inter-Agency Task Force will issue a formal announcement on this issue as we have been getting two views from two different entities," Pacquiao, a presidential aspirant in the 2022 elections, said in a statement.

"Parang hindi sila nag-uusap kung ano talaga ang dapat gawin [It's as if they are not coordinating with each other regarding this]."

Pacquiao mentioned the statements coming from Malacañang and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) as he emphasized that communication regarding policies among government agencies should be easier in this age of smartphones and internet.

The former world boxing champion meanwhile questioned the push for the continuous use of face shields, noting health authorities' position that face shields should only be mandatory in hospitals, vaccination sites, and other areas where the risk of contamination is high.

"We're getting mixed signals from government, with the presidential spokesman saying that local ordinances removing the face shield requirement are 'null and void' while the DILG says the contrary," he said.

“Which is the correct policy? Ano ba talaga ang dapat (Who should we follow)? Even the MMDA Council believes that the face shield is no longer necessary.  Kulang pa ba ang kinita nung mga nagpipilit na gamitin ito (Have they not earned enough)? Clarity is what we need from the government at this point when COVID-19 is still raging despite the heightened vaccination program and the lower number of cases in recent days," Pacquiao said.

Pacquiao said he is still puzzled about some agencies' push for face shield when there are no specific evidence that would support that face shields would add protection against COVID-19.

"Napakalaking palaisipan sa akin talaga kung bakit ipinipilit nila itong face shield. Alam naman natin na kalokohan lang yan at pinagkakakitaan lang pero di naman talaga nakakatulong.  They claim that this policy was based on a  study that it can offer an additional layer of protection but did not offer clear scientific proof  based on actual tests," he explained.  

(I am still puzzled why they are pushing for the use of face shield. We all know that these are all nonsense and they are just making money out of it. They claim that this policy was based on a study that it can offer an additional layer of protection but did not offer clear scientific proof based on actual test.)

He also said the Philippines “earned an embarrassing distinction” for making face shields an integral part of the COVID-19 fight yet it remains a “bottom-dweller” when it comes to pandemic response.

Moreover, Pacquiao argued that face shield is not only an inconvenience but is also a waste of money for ordinary citizens who have lost their jobs due to lockdown restrictions. —KBK, GMA News