MANILA, Philippines — Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu has a free hand to do whatever is needed to address the COVID-19 situation in Cebu, including tapping the military to contain the coronavirus infection, Malacañang said Wednesday.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier directed Cimatu, a former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), to oversee the government’s COVID-19 response in Cebu City after an increase in its coronavirus infections.
“He has to do whatever has to be done,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an interview over ANC.
“Although we have equality of power between equal branches of government, the President, because of procedural powers, is in reality and in theory, the most powerful. So he (Cimatu) gets to exercise all the extraordinary powers of the Office of the President in dealing with the pandemic in Cebu City,” he added.
Roque added that Cimatu may ask the help of the AFP if police authorities are not enough to enforce the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Cebu City.
“This is not martial law. This has been decided upon by the Supreme Court and this is as far as enforcing the ECQ in Cebu is concerned. Normally, we have the police enforcing it, but if the police is not enough then the Armed Forces can also enforce the lockdown,” he explained.
Cimatu will not just “make recommendations” on efforts to curb COVID-19 infection in Cebu City, but “implement what he thinks should be done,” Roque said.
Cebu City has so far recorded at least 4,400 COVID-19 cases. It is the lone city under ECQ until June 30.
On Tuesday, Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella ordered the cancellation of all quarantine passes to prevent people from going out of their houses.