Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Ano supports the decision of some local government units that imposed an executive order (EO) to lift the mandatory use of face shields.

"These (EOs) are not null and void because our local government units, the local chief executives, based on our Local Government Code, specifically Section 16, in order to provide service and protect people, they can enact ordinances and executive orders," Ano said in an interview with reporters in Villamor Airbase on Monday night.

"For those LGUs with low risk, I will not hold it against them," he said when asked about his stand on the EO issued by the Davao, Manila and Iloilo cities.

"Look at Metro Manila now, we are now under Alert Level 2 and at low risk. So these things can be done. Actually, the IATF was considering that (lifting the mandatory wearing of face shields except in high risk areas) but we ran out of time due to the many issues that is why we still failed to tackle," he added.

It can be recalled that just recently, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said that the EO issued by the City of Manila lifting the mandatory use of face shields except in hospitals and other medical facilities is "null and void".

"Well, that is one way of looking at it. Another way of looking at it, it is null and void for being in violation of an existing executive policy decreed by the President himself in the exercise of police powers," said Roque.

Ano explained that the technical working group (TWG) recommendations for the voluntary use of face shield will be presented on Thursday.

"This day, the TWG already had a meeting and they will present their recommendation this Thursday and it will be towards that and like we said we will tie up this based on the risk level of an area, second is on the vaccination rate," he said.

"Metro Manila is already qualified under the Alert Level 2, with 87 percent vaccination and low cases so it can be considered but it is much better to formalize this through IATF resolution," he added. Robina Asido/DMS