President Rodrigo Duterte has received a phone call from United States (US) President Donald Trump Sunday night about the bilateral cooperation of the Philippines and the US in eradicating the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, the American chief executive initiated the communication at past 10 p.m. on Sunday and lasted for 18 minutes.
Meanwhile, President Duterte will have a meeting with high officials and experts of the country, especially in the health sector, to discuss the proper action after the Enhanced Community Quarantine ends on April 30. The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) is also expected to submit a recommendation to the Chief Executive.
“Nais po niya gumawa ng tamang desisyon, at uulitin ko po, ang desisyon niya ay nakabase sa paghanap ng balanse sa obligasyon ng estado sa isang panig na pangalagaan ang kalusugan nating lahat, doon naman sa karapatan ng mga mamayan na magkaroon ng hanapbuhay. Pwede pong magkaroon ng ECQ na limitado sa geographical locations. (He wants to make the right decision, I repeat, a decision based on searching a balance between the obligation of the state to take care of everybody’s health and the right of Filipinos to have a livelihood. It is possible to impose an ECQ that is limited to geographical locations.)” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque explained. – Report from Mela Lesmoras
