MANILA — Mayors should wait for President Rodrigo Duterte's decision on whether or not face shields would remain mandatory in indoor public places, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

"Hindi po pupuwede kasing nagkakaniya-kaniya sa panahon ng pandemya. Siguro po kung hindi batas ang pinag-uusapan, respeto na lang po sa ating Presidente dahil lahat naman po ng desisyon ng IATF ay desisyon ng Presidente," Palace spokesman Harry Roque said.

(We cannot go our own ways during a pandemic. Perhaps if we are not talking about the law, just show respect to our President because all decisions of the IATF are the decisions of the IATF.)

"Paano ngayon susunod ang mga mamamayan kung mga mayor mismo ay hindi sumusunod?" he added.

(How can citizens obey if mayors do not?)

The inter-agency task force leading the country's COVID-19 response will discuss on Nov. 11 on whether or not the mandatory use of face shields should be scrapped.

The local governments of Manila, Iloilo City, and Davao City have scrapped the face shield requirement, even without the IATF decision, prompting questions on whether or not the move was valid.

Palace spokesman Harry Roque said while he personally favored the lifting of the face shield rule, "Ang sa akin naman po, idaan lang sa tamang proseso… Hintayin natin ang desisyon ng IATF."

(For me, just go through the right process. Let us wait for the decision of the IATF.)

"Sa Huwebes naman po iyan pag-uusapan, 2 tulog na lang po iyan. Puwede na po tayong makahintay," he said in a televised public briefing.

(That will be tackled on Thursday. We can just wait for that.)

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año has been quoted as saying that mayors need not wait for the IATF decision before junking the face shield rule.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso on Tuesday said the national government "can go to court and ask for declaratory relief" if it wanted to force the local government to require the plastic coverings again.

Video courtesy of PTV