Imee wants IATF abolished to allow for true medical, science-based approach on COVID-19 pandemic

Senator Imee Marcos is pushing for the abolition of the current Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to make way for a true "medical, science-based" approach in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a virtual interview with reporters on Monday, Marcos expressed frustration over what she described as "conflicting" rules being implemented by the IATF recently amid the surge in COVID-19 cases.

She also criticized the many apprehensions being implemented on individuals failing to observe minimum health standards in public places while medical and science-based approaches are lacking.

She added that the IATF's handling of the pandemic "has been inept and unduly difficult for the Filipino people."

"Siguro panahon na para buwagin na yung IATF at umpisa na tayo sa totoo na medikal na science-based at talagang makakatulong sa tao," the senator said.

(Maybe it's time to abolish the IATF and let's start to have a real medical and science-based approach to the pandemic that can really help the people.)

"I think if there's a new IATF, let's begin with the policy establishment by the medical and the science people," she added.

GMA News Online has reached out to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and presidential spokesperson Harry Roque for their comments but both have yet to issue their reactions.

Composed of various government agencies, the IATF is the body that handles the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Duque serves as chairperson of the body, while Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles is a co-chair. Roque is its spokesperson.

Doctors, health experts

For Marcos, the new body that would replace the current IATF should be composed by doctors and public health experts whom she said really understands the gravity of the ongoing pandemic.

"Sila ang magdidiretso ng policy and after that yung implementation paghati-hatian. At ikonsulta na yung mga LGU, huwag ipapasa nang basta sa mga LGU," she said.

(They will continue the policy and the implementation will be shared among stakeholders. And LGUs should be consulted, and the work should not merely be passed on to them.)

"Alam natin na bago itong mga virus na ito so there's a lot of changing discoveries, changing protocols, at sila na ang magsabi (they should be the one to say it)," she added.

Sotto concurs

Senate President Vicente Sotto III concurred with Marcos's proposal as he himself admitted being disappointed with the current situation of the country.

"I concur with that, as a matter of fact they should have done that on day one especially when we were already complaining around June," Sotto said in a separate interview with reporters.

Sotto is of the opinion that there is a "gross incompetence" as far as the Department of Health is concerned in handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Don’t get me wrong, maraming mga DOH na mga nagtatrabaho at employees na mga magagaling pero yung particular na handling ng COVID-19 palagay ko naligaw e," he said.

(Don't get me wrong, many in the DOH are performing well but their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic may have made a wrong turn.)

"Dapat yan pababa na ng pababa yan e, nasa 1,000 plus lang tayo e. Dapat diyan after one year nasa mga less than 1000 na tayo a day. Yun ang ineexpect ko," he added.

(The cases should be going down, we should be having only around 1,000 new cases per day. After one year we should be having less than 1,000 new cases a day. That's what I was expecting.)

The IATF on Sunday endorsed the implementation of new COVID-19 restrictions amid the rising COVID-19 cases in the country.

Among these new regulations is the banning of non-essential travel into and from Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Cavite, and Laguna beginning Monday until April 4.

That day, the Philippines recorded a total of 7,757 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total tally of cases to 663,794.

This was the third consecutive day when more than 7,000 cases were reported. — RSJ GMA News