Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 5) — The Palace is not in favor of changing the people at the helm of the country’s COVID-19 response despite the recent alarming surge in recorded cases.
“I believe it was Dr. Ted Herbosa, a specialist on emergency medicine, who said it is contrary to the basics of emergency medicine to change leadership in the middle of a pandemic. I don’t think we will achieve anything by that,” said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque during a virtual briefing on Monday.
Lawmakers and critics alike have slammed the leadership of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases as the country continues to set record high tallies in daily infections and active cases.
In a recent tweet, for instance, Sen. Ping Lacson said “we can’t feel someone is in charge” even as the coronavirus has “gone berserk.”
“Hindi na po pupwede yan, dahil yan po ay magiging labag sa basic principle na kapag may pandemya, ibigay muna ang kinakailangan at huwag muna pag-usapan ang liderato na yan,” Roque further responded to calls for leadership change.
[Translation: That cannot be done anymore, as it will go against the basic principle that all needs must be provided first during a pandemic and not discuss the leadership for now.]
The official likewise insisted a whole-of-government approach is being employed in response to the health crisis. The IATF, he added, has been established to ensure it’s not just one person calling the shots but other experts and government officials, too.
RELATED: Roque rejects calls to abolish IATF, says virus mutations not its fault
To date, the Philippines has over 800,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19. More than 646,000 have recovered from the disease, while past 13,400 have succumbed to it.
OCTA Research has recently projected the country’s cumulative infection count will reach a million by the end of the month.
The coronavirus has gone berserk. While it is on ‘at-will’ mode, we are like, on autopilot. We can’t feel someone is in charge. Sobrang malas!
— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) April 4, 2021
