Senate President Tito Sotto disclosed that President Rodrigo Duterte agreed that face shields should only be used inside hospitals.
“Last night, the President agreed that face shields should only be used in hospitals,” Sotto said in a tweet.
Sotto met with Duterte last Wednesday in Malacañang for a ceremonial signing of various bills.
“Allowed us to remove ours! Attention DOH (Department of Health),” he added.
Although it’s unclear if the President has ordered the DOH to remove the mandatory face shield policy or only for that event.
“We had a chance to briefly meet with the President on the side of the stage before the signing ceremony and were wearing the face shields of which he casually mentioned that we can take them off so we can hear each other. Then the topic was focused on the need for face shields and if they were truly necessary,” Senate Majority Leader Migz Zubiri said in a statement.
Zubiri said that the President acknowledged that we’re probably one of a very few countries that use them.
Although the senator clarified that the situation last night was unique.
“However yesterday’s situation was unique as we all had PCR negative tests and underwent Antigen test right before seeing the President. That made everyone absolutely safe in that particular moment. I would like to add that this was an off the cuff discussion and not officially discussed on stage or with the public,” he said.
Senator Joel Villanueva confirmed that President Duterte told senators last night “You don’t have to wear it”.
Meanwhile, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno floated the call to urge the national government to scrap the mandatory face shield policy.
“Ang face shield ay dapat ipatigil nang i-require sa general population at gamitin na lamang sa ospital upang makabawas sa gastusin at intindihin ng taumbayan,” Moreno said in a statement.
“Tayo na lang yata sa buong mundo ang nag-re-require ng face shield sa kalsada. Dapat pag-isipan uli ito,” he added.
The national government imposed the mandatory policy on December 2020 in addition to the face mask policy.
