HONTIVEROS SEEKS PROBE ON IATF CABINET MEMBERS' 'MICROMANAGEMENT' OF LGUs

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday filed Senate Resolution No. 495 urging the proper Senate committee to investigate, in aid of legislation, Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) Resolution No. 62, which assigned IATF member-cabinet secretaries to various local government units (LGU) in the National Capital Region, Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite, and Rizal to monitor their COVID-19 response.

"This is toxic micromanagement. There are even reports that cabinet members intervene at the barangay level," Hontiveros said. "The IATF members, while arguably experts in their respective fields, are not experts nor do they have any experience in health system performance, critical care capacity, and surveillance, isolation, and treatment protocols. Baka sila pa nga ang turuan ng mga mayor," she added.

"It is also rather imprudent to assign these members to monitor LGUs when IATF as a body has already been saddled with controversies involving its policy decisions and pronouncements, the accuracy and integrity of the data reported, and even some allegedly anomalous procurement-related transactions," Hontiveros declared.

Hontiveros said that the Senate has previously raised concerns about the procurement of overpriced personal protective equipment (PPE), the Department of Health's erroneous COVID-19 data, as well as the credibility of the IATF Chairperson Secretary Francisco Duque, particularly his 'flip-flop' pronouncements on the wave of COVID-19 infections in the country. This, she said, should set off alarm bells about allowing IATF to interfere with the LGUs' affairs.

"The members of the IATF, many of whom have no background in local governments or pandemic response, are unnecessarily overstepping. What the LGUs need is a coherent national COVID management strategy, not undue interference," the senator said.

Hontiveros also questioned the rationale behind how the cabinet members were assigned to their respective LGUs. "Bakit si Sec. Harry Roque naka-assign sa Pasay? Shouldn't he be focusing on his job as a presidential spokesperson? At bakit si Sec. Duque sa Quezon City, when as Secretary of the Department of Health, he should be overseeing the overall management of the COVID-19 response? At bakit pagkatapos i-assign si Sec. Nograles sa Quezon City din, sinabi niya na ang mga residente ng QC ay maaaring sumali sa clinical trials ng vaccine galing sa Russia? Iyan ba ang plano nila? Mukhang wala namang datos o siyensiya sa pagdesisyong ito," she said.

"Pagkatiwalaan sana natin ang ating LGUs. Ang mga mayor ang mas may alam at matagal nang umaaksyon sa ground. Dapat gawin nalang mismo ng IATF ang mandato nito na magbigay ng buo at maayos na istratehiya, plano, at suporta," the senator explained.

"Sana huwag mawalan ng kumpiyansa ang ating mga mayor dahil sa walang basehan na panghihimasok na ito. Kitang-kita naman ng publiko ang mga inisyatibo na pinangunahan ng mga LGU. Sa katunayan, ang mga proyekto at programa ng mga lokal na pamahalaan ang mas naramdaman ng mga kababayan natin ngayong may krisis," Hontiveros concluded.

Please see attached PSR No. 495 in PDF format