President Rodrigo Duterte rejected Wednesday shortening the mandatory quarantine period of 14 days for returning overseas Filipino workers as the country continues to fight a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Consulting with medical experts, Duterte said he was "not comfortable" with shortening the quarantine requirement after Labor Sec. Silvestre Bello III proposed reducing it due to complaints from OFWs.
"I'm quite not comfortable with the relaxation that's being brought about now," Duterte said in a televised public address. "I'm not ready for a compromise. Lalo na ngayon."
The labor chief proposed reducing the mandatory quarantine period to nine days from two weeks, telling the President "we cannot close our eyes to the miseries of our OFWs." Bello explained that the mandatory 14-day quarantine is depleting government resources.
Duterte however said shortening the mandatory quarantine period could lead to an "exponential problem."
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