MANILA, Philippines — The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease responding to the country’s coronavirus pandemic needs to be “shaped up and leveled up,” Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano said Wednesday amid calls to abolish the task force.
Cayetano said the task force could not be in charge of the country’s pandemic response planning and execution aspect.
“Ang sa akin po is more to shape up and level up. And I think the way to shape up and level up, hindi pwedeng ‘yung IATF sila na nagpa-plano, sila pa nag-e-execute,” Cayetano told reporters.
(It’s all about shaping up and leveling up for me. And I think the way to shape up and step up, I believe the IATF cannot be the one preparing and yet executing.)
Cayetano said the task force had been swamped with the volume of issues. The execution wouldn’t be practical for a small group like the IATF, adding that there should be a distinction between the preparation group and the execution group.
Furthermore, Cayetano said that the IATF seems to have “too many voices with too many concerns,” even calling the task force a “mini Congress.”
Senator Imee Marcos had previously called for abolishing the IATF and the recruitment of public health experts to lead the country’s battle against COVID-19 in a “true science-based” manner.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III agreed, emphasizing the importance of allowing doctors to manage the pandemic response.
READ: Abolish IATF, let health experts lead pandemic response – senator
Some lawmakers, meanwhile, pushed for an overhaul rather than the task force’s abolition.