Malacañang on Tuesday rejected a Cebu provincial ordinance that makes wearing of face masks amid Covid-19 only optional for its residents by asserting that President Duterte's order, which is based on the government's pandemic task force, shall prevail.
"The Chief Executive's directive is clear: Continue wearing face masks," Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said in a statement.
Andanar added that the Department of the Interior and Local Government has already instructed the Philippine National Police to implement the existing Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases' resolution on wearing of face masks accordingly.
Andanar said the Palace also reiterates and supports the legal opinion of Department of Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra that IATF resolution "shall prevail over the executive orders by local government units."
Andanar said these included the one previously issued by the provincial government of Cebu, which is headed by Gov. Gwen Garcia.