Malacanang warned on Tuesday that the government will order the closure of any religious establishment that will open during the two-week period until April 4 without violating the separation of church and state.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the church should follow the resolution issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases prohibiting mass gatherings, including religious gathering, from March 22 to April 4 in Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal while they are under general community quarantine bubble.

"What is covered is the freedom to believe and the freedom not to endorse a religion. But in the exercise of police powers, we can order the churches closed," he said in a televised press briefing.

Roque issued the warning after Manila Apostolic Administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo, in a pastoral instruction for Holy Week, said that starting March 24, their churches will have religious worship within 10 percent of maximum church capacity.

But religious activity outside churches such as senakuko, pabasa, processions, motorcades, and Visita Iglesia would not be allowed.

Roque said the opening of the churches would be contrary to the decision of the IATF.

"We ask Bishop Pabillo not to encourage, disregard the IATF rules. This is for the good of everyone," he said.

"We cannot achieve any objective if you will defy and you will force the state to close the doors of the church. There's no violation of the separation between church and state If we do that because that goes beyond freedom to believe and the prohibition to endorse a religion. That will be an enforcement of police powers to protect the public good," Roque stressed.

Meanwhile, Roque reminded local government officials that medical frontliners have remained the priority sector in the COVID-19 vaccination.

This was after some local chief executives, such as Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, received his COVID-19 vaccine even if he is not a medical frontliner.

"Our priority has not changed - right now it's still the medical frontliners. So again, we repeat, those who are not medical frontliners are not allowed yet to be inoculated because if we are going to defy the order of priority, our future delivery from COVAX facility will be affected," he said.

Roque said the Palace regrets the incident but assured that the matter would be referred to the Department of Interior and Local Government for proper action as the incident needs to be investigated. Celerina Monte/DMS