Claims government using militarist approach vs COVID-19 not accurate —Nograles

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles on Wednesday rejected accusations that the government is relying on a “militarist” approach to curb the spread of COVID-19.

In an online forum, Nograles said the Philippines’ COVID-19 task force has a technical advisory panel, which includes mathematicians, statisticians, and medical experts.

"Hindi naman po accurate to say na puro military or pulis ang ating approach dito sa pandemyang ito,” Nograles, co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), said.

"Itong laban kasi sa COVID is not just purely a medical fight. Iba-ibang fronts ito. Multi-sectoral approach po ito. It's not simply a health pandemic, kasama ekonomiya, kasama ang society, ang social needs.”

Critics have accused the government of relying on former military officials and bureaucrats instead of public health experts to fight the pandemic.

Human rights alliance Karapatan recently said a “true medical quarantine isn't a punitive lockdown criminalizing dissent and the poor and that it should be scientific, pro-people, and seeks to uphold the people’s right to health.”

Among the government officials tasked to implement the country’s COVID-19 response were retired military generals: Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., and Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu.

The IATF is headed by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.—AOL, GMA News