The government has assigned Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) members to assist Local Government Units (LGUs) in specific areas as response against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
“Nag-assign lang po ng mga miyembro ng gabinete kada siyudad, unang una dahil doon sila nakatira, pangalawa, para mabigyan lang po ng kahit anong suporta na kinakailangan ng mga lokal na opisyal galing po sa pang-nasyonal na gobyerno. So hindi po iyan mensahe na may problema ang LGUs. Ito po ay mensahe na kung ano pa ang kinakailangan ng mga lokal na pamahalaan, narito po ang national government, narito ang national IATF para tumulong (Cabinet members were assigned per city, first because they live there, second to provide any support that the local officials may need from the national government. It is not a message on problematic LGUs. It is a message that whatever the local government needs, the national government and the IATF are here to help),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque clarified.
National Task Force Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. has likened the cabinet members to “big brothers and sisters” to the LGUs in their respective areas. He also said that the IATF is a “policy-making body” wherein immersion is needed to let the “operational sequence” have a good coordination with its policies.
However, the Palace has pointed out that the cabinet members are there only to provide support and that the local chief executives are still in control of their turfs.
Meanwhile, President Rodrigo R. Duterte is expected to announce the new quarantine measures in different parts of the Philippines on August 17, Monday. – Report from Mela Lesmoras
