MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang urged experts from the OCTA Research Group to refrain from publicly making recommendations on quarantine classification and instead relay this to the government’s COVID-19 task force in private.
While he appreciates their help in monitoring the COVID-19 cases in the country, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the group does not have the same number of experts working with the task force leading the pandemic response.
“And I understand although they have one or two epidemiologists, it is still not the same number of experts working with the IATF [Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases],” Roque said in an online briefing.
“Sana po, if the IATF itself does not make public recommendations to the President, sana the OCTA team and this is really an appeal para hindi po nagkakagulo, can also course their recommendations to the IATF privately,” he added.
(If the IATF itself does not make public recommendations to the President, I hope that the OCTA team, and this is really an appeal so that there will be no confusion, can also course their recommendations to the IATF privately.)
Roque issued the appeal when he was asked about the research group’s recommendation to place parts of Bauan in Batangas, Calbayog in Western Samar, and General Trias in Cavite under stricter quarantine classification.
Provincial governors in coordination with their regional IATF can decide to place the said areas under stricter measures, Roque said.