Palace spokesman Harry Roque on Monday quashed lawyer Larry Gadon’s claims against the effectiveness of face masks, noting that the former senatorial candidate is not a doctor.
“Hindi naman po doktor kasi si Larry Gadon, iyan po ay ‘pañero ko. So, let that be his personal opinion,” Roque said in a virtual presser.
Gadon over the weekend went viral for wearing a face shield with a taped face mask that did not cover the nose and mouth.
He claimed face masks were not effective against Covid-19, saying the virus would not infect hundreds of thousands if face masks were helpful in preventing its transmission.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the proper way to wear a face mask is to “put it over your nose and mouth and secure it under your chin.”
“Ang mga doktor po, ang mga dalubhasa ay nagsasabi na ang pagsusuot po ng maskara can reduce the risk of acquiring the disease by as much as 85 percent. Kung sasamahan pa iyan ng face shield, almost 90 plus percent po ang probability na mapoprotektahan tayo laban sa Covid,” Roque said.
“Sana po huwag na tayong maghintay na tayo pa ang maging susunod na biktima. Alam na po natin iyan sa buong mundo na epektibo po ang pagsusuot ng face mask, paghuhugas ng kamay at pagso-social distancing,” he added.
It was not the first time Roque debunked a rumor regarding face masks. Earlier, he refuted President Rodrigo Duterte’s claim that soaking used face masks in gasoline would disinfect them and make them ready for reuse. John Ezekiel J. Hirro