In an event in Madridejos town, in Bantayan Island, Cebu, people were photographed gathering close to each other in complete disregard of physical distancing to watch Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque speak on Friday, November 27.

During the event at Kota Park, Roque admitted himself that they were not practicing physical distancing, an important protocol that has been promoted as effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19. 

According to a report in the Inquirer, Roque told the crowd during his speech: “Anong isusuot? Masks. Anong dapat gawin? Hugas. At pangatlo, ang hindi natin nasusunod ngayon? Iwas ‘di ba?”

(What do we wear? Masks. What should we do? Wash our hands. The third, we are not practicing now? Avoid each other, right?)

Roque was repeating an explanation of a slogan he pasted on his podium which could be seen during Malacañang press conferences: “Mask, hugas, iwas (Mask, wash, avoid).”

But he said in the same breath that it was fine as long as they keep wearing their masks. “Do not take off your masks. That suffices because we’re in an open-air venue,” Roque said.

The photos were captured by local news agencies The Freeman and Inquirer Visayas and shared by netizens, who criticized the presidential spokesperson.

Roque is also concurrently the spokesperson of the Inter-agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), the team leading the country’s COVID-19 response.

Twitter user @PinoySiWowie said: “IATF, hindi nyo kakasuhan sa paglabag ng protocol itong sina roque, cebu governor, at bantayan officials? Garapalang paglabag na yan. yung ibang LGUs sumusunod pero itong sa bantayan matigas ang ulo.”

(IATF, are you not going to sue those who violated protocols, Roque, Cebu governor, and Bantayan officials? This is an egregious violation. The other LGUs followed, but Bantayan is stubborn.)

o IATF, hindi nyo kakasuhan sa paglabag ng protocol itong sina roque, cebu governor, at bantayan officials? garapalang paglabag na yan. yung ibang LGUs sumusunod pero itong sa bantayan matigas ang ulo. #ProtocolViolation #FireRoque #COVID19PH https://t.co/OjdTR2shIc

— PinoyAko (@pinoysiwowie) November 27, 2020

With Roque were Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Mike Dino, and candidates from the recent Miss Universe Philippines competition. They were in Bantayan to attend the grand opening of the Bantayan Island airport and for Suroy-Suroy Sugbo, a campaign to promote domestic tourism in the province.

Roque said in a press statement on Saturday evening, November 28, he was “taken aback” by the big crowds.

“I was totally taken aback by the huge crowd that came when I went to Cebu yesterday, November 27, to grace the official opening of the Bantayan Island Airport. The venue was open air as it was held by the beach but I had to reiterate for the audience to keep on their masks,” Roque said.

He said that he – at least – observed physical distancing and told the crowd to observe “minimum health standards.” He added that he did not shake hands and did not remove his face mask.

Madridejos Mayor Salvador Dela Fuente echoed Roque’s sentiments in an interview with Cebu Daily News that the crowds were “uncontrollable.”

“We were not able to control the energy of our people to see the visitors, especially from the national government,” Dela Fuente told the news site in Cebuano. “There were barricades and barriers around the park but most of them still found ways to enter.”

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año told DZBB on Sunday, November 29, that they would check if anyone would have to answer for the crowds gathering in Cebu. 

“I am calling out to everyone, including government officials, that if you have activities and you can’t follow health standards, particularly physical distancing, stop it,” he said in a mix of Filipino and English. “Don’t continue it because you cannot just say sorry if you are unable to control it.” 

This is not the first time Roque had been criticized for his public appearances.

On July 2, the former human rights lawyer was hit for making a stop in Subic Bay and posting photos with dolphins, during a time when residents of Metro Manila were told not to leave their homes for leisure purposes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Roque said that stop was not for “leisure.” 

More recently, November 13, he was criticized for singing at a bar in Baguio as a means of “unloading” while nearby Cagayan province flooded. 

On Friday evening, the Facebook page of Madridejos urged residents who attended the event to do tuob or “steam inhalation” in case there was an asymptomatic person who attended the event.

Steam inhalation is not a treatment or cure for COVID-19. Those who have come in contact with a confirmed patient should instead get tested, and if a test is not accessible, go on self isolation for at least 14 days.

According to the latest data released by the Department of Health Central Visayas, Cebu province counts a total of 6,774 cases, of which 268 are still active. – with a report from Ryan Macasero/Rappler.com