Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque retracted his previous statement that religious gatherings are to be allowed during the general community quarantine. In a Philippine Star report on Twitter at 10:19 P.M. on April 30, Roque said the topic of holding such religious gatherings, like masses, in areas that are under the general community quarantine will be rediscussed during the next meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on May 1, 2020.
He says, “So, siguro ipagpaliban muna natin hanggang magkaroon ng pagkakataon na magkaroon na naman ng balitaktakan dito sa IATF." (Maybe let’s set this topic aside for the meantime until we get the opportunity to discuss it further with the IATF.)
It was previously mentioned in a virtual presser with Roque that religious meetings were to be allowed given that safety protocols are to be followed, such as social distancing (approximately two meters apart) and the use of facial protective equipment.
