Presidential spokesman Harry Roque on Tuesday, said the Philippines would not lift the overseas deployment ban on health workers in the near future due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the deployment ban remains despite the opposition of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., who argued that preventing doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals from working abroad are unconstitutional.

He explained that President Rodrigo Duterte imposed the deployment ban to protect Filipino healthcare workers’ health and lives and beef up the Philippines’ medical manpower amid the pandemic.

Asked if the Philippines will lift travel restrictions on medical professionals in the near future, Roque replied: “Wala po siguro.”

Last week, Roque urged health workers to first gain experience in the Philippines by applying for positions under the government’s COVID-19 emergency hiring program.