“Respeto” – Palace pleaded with LGUs to wait for Duterte, IATF

Contradicting statements from the LGUs, IATF, and the Palace confuse and divide Filipinos amid the pandemic. Officials giving conflicting directives earned them ire and ridicule from netizens.

Palace spox Roque urged local chief executives to wait for the IATF directive following Mayor Isko Domagoso’s Executive Order No. 42, making face shields in the City of Manila voluntary except for high-risk areas.

Roque stated that Domagoso’s order is “null and void” as it violates the President’s executive policy.

However, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año disagrees. Año states that Domagoso’s action is based on the Local Government Code and is therefore enforceable.

Roque’s main concern is the President’s authority being challenged.

“Pag nag kanya-kanya tayo, eh mawawala po yung ating tinatawag na kumbaga, yung “ultimate executive power” na ine-exerciseng presidente… Kung ayaw niyo talagang sumunod, siguro pagpapakita lang ng respeto sa proseso,” he said.

When pressed regarding existing laws supporting Domagoso’s decision, Roque failed to cite policies and instead made an appeal based on emotion instead of law.

“Siguro po kung hindi batas ang pinag-uusapan, respeto nalang po sa ating presidente, dahil lahat naman po ng desisyong ng IATF ay desisyon ng presidente.”

“Paano ngayon susunod ang mga mamayan kung mga mayor mismo ay hindi sumusunod?”

Iloilo City and Davao City has already scrapped the use of face shield. Only Manila’s policy earned a response from the Palace.

With the disaster of this administration’s pandemic response, Filipinos are more than eager to move forward instead of waiting for a very late and failed response.

Original article follows below.

Mayors told to wait for IATF, Duterte decision before making rules on face shields

MANILA — Mayors should wait for President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision on whether or not face shields would remain mandatory in indoor public places, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

“Hindi po pupuwede kasing nagkakaniya-kaniya sa panahon ng pandemya. Siguro po kung hindi batas ang pinag-uusapan, respeto na lang po sa ating Presidente dahil lahat naman po ng desisyon ng IATF ay desisyon ng Presidente,” Palace spokesman Harry Roque said.

(We cannot go our own ways during a pandemic. Perhaps if we are not talking about the law, just show respect to our President because all decisions of the IATF are the decisions of the IATF.) 

“Paano ngayon susunod ang mga mamamayan kung mga mayor mismo ay hindi sumusunod?” he added.

(How can citizens obey if mayors do not?)

The inter-agency task force leading the country’s COVID-19 response will discuss on Nov. 11 on whether or not the mandatory use of face shields should be scrapped.

The local governments of Manila, Iloilo City, and Davao City have scrapped the face shield requirement, even without the IATF decision, prompting questions on whether or not the move was valid. 

Palace spokesman Harry Roque said while he personally favored the lifting of the face shield rule, “Ang sa akin naman po, idaan lang sa tamang proseso… Hintayin natin ang desisyon ng IATF.”

(For me, just go through the right process. Let us wait for the decision of the IATF.)

“Sa Huwebes naman po iyan pag-uusapan, 2 tulog na lang po iyan. Puwede na po tayong makahintay,” he said in a televised public briefing.

(That will be tackled on Thursday. We can just wait for that.)

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año has been quoted as saying that mayors need not wait for the IATF decision before junking the face shield rule.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso on Tuesday said the national government “can go to court and ask for declaratory relief” if it wanted to force the local government to require the plastic coverings again. 

Originally published by ABS-CBN News.