Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque thought that Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso's order to limit the areas that require the use of face shields is either not effective or null and void because of an existing order that required the use of the supposed anti-coronavirus (COVID-19) equipment.

Roque made the statement after Domagoso lifted Manila's face shield policy and limited its use to medical facilities shortly after Metro Manila mayors agreed to recommend the same to the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

In his press briefing on Monday, November 8, Roque said one way of looking at Domagoso's order is that it cannot take effect.

"That's one way of looking at it. Another way of looking at it is null and void po siya (the order is null and void) for being in violation of an existing executive policy decreed by the President itself in the exercise of police powers," he said.

He added that it will be up to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to deal with the Manila mayor if he will insist on his order.

"Hahayaan ko na po 'yan sa DILG. 'Yan po ay katungkulan at hurisdiksyon ng DILG (I will leave it to the DILG, it's their duty and jurisdiction)," he said.

Meanwhile, Roque reminded local chief executives that the IATF's orders and policies are ratified or are the same as those of President Duterte's.

"IATF exercises derivative authorities from the President because it was created through an executive order. Halos lahat naman po ng desisyon ng IATF is either ratified or binigyan ng Presidente ang kapangyarihan ang IATF na mag-desisyon (Almost every decision of the IATF is either ratified or the President gave the IATF the power to decide)," he said.

"Dahil lahat po ng mga mayor ay nasa control and supervision pa rin po ng ating Presidente, kinakailangan po lahat ng mga mayor sumunod pa rin po sa mga polisiya ng IATF hanggang hindi po nababago (Since all mayors are under the control and supervision of the President, they need to follow the policies of the IATF until they are changed)," he added.

The Palace official, meanwhile, assured local chief executives that the IATF is studying the use of face shields against COVID-19.

"Ang aking pangako naman po, pinag-aaralan naman po ng IATF kung kinakailangan o pupwede na ngang tanggalin ang paggamit po ng face shields (I promise you that the IATF is studying whether face shields are necessary or we can do away with them)," Roque said.

"Antayin na lang po natin ang desisyon ng IATF (Let's just wait for the decision of the IATF)," he added.

In June, President Duterte said he preferred that people only be required to wear face shields in hospitals. However, the government’s pandemic task force was opposed to easing the rules on wearing face shields and appealed that the rule be kept, especially indoors.

After the Department of Health (DOH) reported that a total of 17 individuals got infected by the Delta variant on June 21, Duterte decided to keep the wearing of face shields mandatory both indoors and outdoors again.

In September, Duterte finally lifted the mandatory requirement on the use of face shields outdoors, except in closed spaces, crowded places, and close-contact settings.