Wearing face shields is a must in campaign events, according to COMELEC.
COMELEC — Wearing face shields in campaign events is a must as the Commission on Elections deems it “a crucial cornerstone of minimum health protocols.”
COMELEC Spokesperson James Jimenez maintained during a press briefing on Tuesday, February 8, that wearing face shields in campaign events is mandatory.
In rationalizing this, Jimenez said that they feel that it’s necessary to point out that face shields are still there even under IATF guidelines.
“The guidance is still, use face masks and face shields, especially for high-risk environments, such as campaigns,” Jimenez said. “As far as the use of face shields is concerned, we feel that it’s necessary to point out that even under IATF guidelines, face shields are still there only of course, voluntary.”
Jimenez stressed that the poll body has made the determination that “campaigns are well not ordinary places”, adding that mandating the use of face shields is justified. He also said that their primordial concern is the safety of the public.
Because of the threat of COVID-19, protective gears such as face masks and face shields are being used in the Philippines in a bid to stem the transmission of the virus.
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The campaign period officially started last February 8, with different groups and political candidates holding rallies and motorcades with their supporters.
Meanwhile, Jimenez said that the public may now report any election violations to the poll body through email or Twitter. Jimenez said that reports received will be referred to appropriate authorities who have the closest possible connection to the offense.
“We are now able to receive reports of wrongdoings through our [email protected]. That is the email that we are asking everyone to use in order to report incidents of election violations,” Jimenez said. “On Twitter, we are asking everyone to use the #SumbongKo. This will allow us to identify from among the mass of tweets potential violations of election laws.”
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