DAVAO CITY—Women in burqas and wearing surgical masks should refrain from concealing their faces in public, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte said on Thursday, describing the measure as aimed at preventing attacks. The daughter of President Duterte made the remarks as police hunt for the suspects—seen on CCTV wearing face masks—behind a bombing this month that killed 15 in the city. “It would be a good security practice to disallow garments that cover the faces in public places,” the mayor said in a written statement. ADVERTISEMENT“These garments include hats, sunglasses, face masks, mouth masks, burqa, face paint, and other similar things.” She said she understood the concerns of Muslim women who are required by their religion to cover up. Muslim women in the country usually favor a hijab, which covers only the hair, over the face-concealing burqa, though it is growing in popularity.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer September 16, 2016 21:56 UTC