Battle of words: Face mask edition

The Cebu provincial government is not backing down from its stand that they have legal basis on the ordinance that wearing of face masks is now optional outdoors. They shouldn’t falter because they seem to have the right reasons.

Come to think of it, the governor who knows this province like the palm of her hand is also the daughter of one of those who authored the local government code. The vice governor is also the son of a former chief justice. Of course, they know the law and they wouldn’t do anything to circumvent it.

Here’s the thing, it’s actually becoming a battle of words between the interior secretary who thinks he knows better than those elected by people in Cebu Province. He uses his position as a form of intimidation and threatens the local officials by giving them an ultimatum. It’s like he is God and rules over local autonomy without considering the powers vested upon him. Not to mention his term is also set to expire at the end of the month.

The ones confused aren’t just the authorities who are merely taking orders but also the people themselves. However if you were on the ground you would see people actually encouraging local governments to remove mandatory use of facemasks outdoors. Having pandemic fatigue is real. We also add to that reality that these items aren’t free.

Even doctors say that the province's move is in the right direction. In fact it’s in the right direction but with the wrong timing. Medical experts already know what to do in case there is a sudden uptick in COVID cases. Heck, we are not even asking for help from the national government when they should be overseeing, consulting, and conferring with those in the regions.

In order for the secretary to gain respect before he leaves his post, he must stop bickering with Governor Garcia. It is plain and simple; let local autonomy play its role in governance. Well if she insists there is a violation or whatever corrupt practices he is trying to say then, of course, the local government and its people are ready to defend whatever needs to be done in court.

It’s all about respecting boundaries and letting go of big egos. This pandemic response should foster collaboration, quick analysis, and good comprehension. The media, on the other hand, should stop being the venue of a catfight between officials who clearly aren’t matched.

To put it bluntly, Imperial Manila must leave Cebu alone. We are good, we are okay, and we trust our officials. Maybe they should end their term with a positive legacy, rather than a useless battle of words. However, they want to be hypocritical about it, even people take off their masks when they know not to do so.