The Philippine National Police (PNP) will continue to implement the existing policy of mandatory wearing of face shields in enclosed areas and public places.
PNP Chief Police Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), the government’s policy-making body for COVID-19 response efforts, made a recommendation to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to continue the mandatory wearing of face shields over face masks.
“The latest recommendation of the IATF to the President is to continue making mandatory the wearing of face shields in enclosed spaces, commercial areas, public transport, terminals, and even places of worship,” Eleazar said.
According to the PNP Chief, “With this, we will continue to enforce the existing policy until the President decides on the matter and the IATF amends the guidelines.”
“Ang pagpapatupad po natin ng mandatory wearing of face shields ay gaya din po sa polisiya natin sa face masks. Our policemen need to issue warnings or ordinance violation receipts, if there is an existing ordinance in a locality, and even make arrests when necessary for violators who deliberately refuse to wear face shields,” he said.
Eleazar reiterated his reminder to policemen on the ground not to hurt persons who will be apprehended for not wearing face shields. He also instructed them to distribute face masks to violators who have none.
“May direktiba din po tayo sa ating kapulisan na bigyan ng face masks ang mga mahuhuling walang suot nito. Paulit-ulit din po tayong nagpapaalala sa mga PNP personnel na hindi dapat saktan ang mga lumalabag sa panuntunang ito,” Eleazar said.
The PNP Chief said the PNP will wait for the issuance of new guidelines based on the President’s decision.
“Kung may pagbabago man, hihintayin po ng PNP na maibaba ang amended guidelines para iyon ang aming ipatupad. Sa ngayon, status quo muna at susundin muna namin kung ano ang isinasaad ng guidelines para maiwasan ang pagkakaroon ng kalituhan ang publiko sa bagay na ito,” he said. (PNP-PIO) – jlo
