IATF is not maximizing advantages of PH’s IT, health experts — Chel Diokno

Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno. INQUIRER.net file photo / CATHY MIRANDA

MANILA, Philippines — The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases is not maximizing the country’s information technology (IT) and health experts in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, human rights lawyer Chel Diokno said on Tuesday.

“Well, I do believe we really need to have a better science-based and evidence-driven management of the pandemic. We have to make use of what we have and we have really good IT experts. We have really good health experts kaya lang (but) they haven’t really been maximized by our government, by the IATF,” Diokno, also a senatorial aspirant, said on ANC’s Headstart.

He noted that the country had issues on the length of lockdowns, contact tracing systems, and the lack of equipment for COVID-19 testing, among others.

Diokno said that a science-based and evidence-driven agency would help in alleviating the pandemic’s impact in the country.

“I think if we had put in place the science-based and evidence-driven body from the beginning, we would be in a much better place than we are now,” he said.

The lawyer also pointed out that a “heavy hand” approach needs to be changed as the country is dealing with a virus and not an armed force.

“I think it’s the mindset and the approach that needs to be say to be modernized and needs to be science-based because what we’ve experienced is really a heavy hand,” Diokno said.

“Whenever there’s a crisis in the pandemic, what we’ve seen is orders like lockdown everyone, arrest everyone, and that’s not the right approach because we’re not dealing with armed insurgency here or any kind of armed force. We’re dealing with a virus and that should be addressed by people who understand and know how to deal with this kinds of infectious diseases,” he explained.

The country on Monday recorded 33,169 new COVID-19 infections, the highest single-day tally logged since the pandemic began.

JPV