Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 16) — President Rodrigo Duterte again defended his administration’s controversial face shield policy, saying the plastic covering provides some kind of added protection despite causing “inconvenience.”
“Itong (this) face shield will provide an added premium of prevention. It might not really be a big percentage, but even if it’s just 5% more protected because you have the shield, mas maganda na yan (then, that is better),” Duterte said in a taped address that aired on Thursday.
“Ano ba naman iyang inconvenience [compared] to getting sick and probably dying,” added Duterte, who, like the Cabinet officials present, was not wearing a face shield.
[Translation: The inconvenience is nothing compared to getting sick and probably dying.]
In June, Duterte agreed with Senate President Tito Sotto that face shields should only be worn in hospitals. The Inter-Agency Task Force convinced Duterte that the use of face shields should still be required in all enclosed spaces.
Last week, he apologized for flip-flopping on the use of the face shield.
World Health Organization country representative Rabindra Abeyasinghe earlier said the Philippines is one of a few countries that advocates the wearing of face shields in addition to masks.
Amid debates on its effectiveness in preventing the spread of the coronavirus, he said the government should only talk about changing the face shield rule once the COVID-19 situation is already under control as relaxing the measure at this time may give a wrong signal to the public.
