Some senators on Tuesday expressed frustration at the alleged absurdity of imposing a policy for riders to wear face masks inside a private vehicle.
Senator Imee Marcos laughed off the policy saying the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) personnel seemingly need time to sleep and recalibrate their decisions on their COVID-19 protocols.
“Papayuhan ko lang yung IATF at yung LTO, baka talaga naman kelangan matulog na kayo at magpahinga (I would just like to advise the IATF and LTO, I really think they need time to sleep and rest),” Marcos said during a Senate Public Services Committee hearing where they tackled the controversial policy.
“Kasi kasabay rin nito na walang katuturan ay yung sinasabi nila na (because aside from this nonsensical policy is another of their policy stating that) government employees daw ay (are supposedly) exempted from border protocols,” she pointed out.
“Kaya nagwawala mga governors… pati yung mga LGUs (local government units) na hirap na hirap na sa border control. Biglang may double standard (That’s why the governors are protesting…even the LGUs who are having a difficult time imposing border control. All of a sudden there is a double standard),” she said.
“Kasabay to eh, kaya palagay ko puyat lang yung IATF nun, kelangan lang siguro mamahinga, (They imposed this at the same time. That’s why I think they are just sleepless. I think they should take the time to rest),” Marcos added.
Sen. Grace Poe, chair of the Senate public services committee, agreed with Marcos saying: “Mukha nga, nahihilo na, (It seems so, they are dizzy).”
Poe also noted that it was the LTO that released the said guideline.
When asked for an explanation, LTO Asst. Secretary Edgar Galvante admitted he did but said it was based on the IATF’s guidelines and the LTO is only following the policy under the guidance of the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
“Hindi po ito independently nilabas po ng LTO at LTO ang gumawa ng pamantayan—hindi po (This was not independently released by the LTO and LTO did not release such guidelines),” Galvante pointed out.
To which Poe retorted: “Eh teka muna, ba’t di naman kayo nagsalita tungkol dito? Isa naman ‘yan sa mga bagay na dapat responsibilidad niyo (But wait, why didn’t you speak out about this issue? That is one of your responsibility).” “You could have told the IATF, you might be ill-informed about the actual importance of this regulation because a lot of people would be impacted by this policy,” Poe told the LTO official.