Malacañang on Tuesday dismissed calls for the abolition of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases, the government’s pandemic decision-making body, saying it was not to blame for the recent spike in Covid-19 cases.
Palace spokesman Harry Roque claimed critics calling for IATF’s abolition were merely politicking and not providing “constructive criticism.”
“Lumalakas na naman po ang ingay sa pulitika, may ilan na nananawagan pa na dapat daw po buwagin ang (IATF), ito’y sa gitna ng tumataas na kaso ng aktibong kaso ng Covid-19 sa bansa. Ang lahat po ng desisyon ng IATF ay nakabase po sa siyensiya,” he said in a Palace briefing.
“Wala pong mabubuwag because kapag binuwag mo ang IATF, it is as if you are, bubuwagin mo iyong buong gobyerno kasi wala naman pong ibang buhay ang IATF kung hindi iyong gobyerno mismo,” he added.
Roque also called out Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo for her comments on the IATF’s performance.
“Mayroon naman silang constructive criticism, ano ba iyong mga constructive criticism nila? We don’t think the abolition of IATF is constructive kasi ang IATF ay pinagsama-sama lang pong talino at galing ng buong gobyerno.”
“But if they have constructive criticisms, we welcome them. Kaya lang sa kaso naman ni Vice President, every time she has constructive criticism, iyong kaniyang criticism ay nai-implement na ng IATF bago pa niya sabihin.”
Calls for the abolition of IATF have come even from senators, including Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Imee Marcos and Risa Hontiveros.
The country has recorded 677,653 Covid-19 cases as of March 23. John Ezekiel J. Hirro