Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano tells the Cebu provincial government that national government policies must prevail over local ordinances.
“The IATF-EID (Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases) resolutions on protocols are binding and mandatory. The rules and policies of local government units are expected to conform,” Año said in a Senate hearing on Tuesday.
Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia insisted that local government units have the right to enforce their own health protocols.
She also defended the Cebu government’s different quarantine policies for returning Filipinos (RFs) and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Garcia held a meeting on Tuesday following recent order from the Palace to follow the IATF’s protocol on quarantine measures fro OFWs and returning Filipinos.
Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, spokesperson of DOH-7, told reporters the province will continue to implement the swab-upon-arrival policy.
“I believe everybody knows already that the protocol will stand because of the ordinance, and DOH-7, together with other government agencies and concerned stakeholders, has to follow the ordinance of the local government,” Loreche said.
Loreche however clarified that they are not defying the government’s orders.
“If you really look at it, hindi naman talaga tayo nag violate. It has always been in compliance with the IATF guidelines on testing protocols and quarantine,” Loreche explained.
“It’s just that we have to do some innovative changes, primarily because testing upon arrival is an enhancement of the security measures. Making sure that positive upon arrival, we’ll be able to extract them already, and we will not be allowing them to go around,” she added.
