CEBU CITY — Apparently projecting power to contend with despite days in office being numbered, outgoing Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Friday sternly warned that those not wearing face masks will be arrested after Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia issued an Executive Order limiting the use of face masks in the province to indoor spaces only.
Garcia’s Executive Order 8 issued on June 8, Wednesday, quickly gained support from at least five mayors namely Borbon town Mayor Noel Dotillos, Medellin town Mayor Benjun Mondigo, San Remegio town Mayor Mariano Martinez, Pinamungajan town Mayor Glenn Baricuatro, and Dumanjug town Mayor Efren Guntrano “Gungon” Gica.
Garcia pointed out that her EO is a “necessary step towards the new normal” as she noted that other countries, including Singapore, are now already implementing the same policy.
For his part, incoming City of Naga Mayor Valdemar Chiong described Garcia’s EO as realistic and only affirmed that the governor is in touch from the ground.
But the outgoing DILG chief sees it differently.
“This Department does not recognize the Executive Order issued by Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia because we have the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) guidelines approved by the President. The Philippine National Police will continue to confront, apprehend, and arrest, if necessary, all violators of IATF guidelines and MPHS (minimum public health standards) in the Province of Cebu,” Año said in a statement.
Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama cautiously toed the DILG line but said the reputed Queen City of the South will also remove the wearing of masks in the future.
He called on the Interagency Task Force (IATF) to be “no longer be dependent” on the World Health Organization (WHO) in forming policies.
By: Junex Doronio
