THREE former military men have been appointed to lead the implementation of the national action plan against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez is the chief implementor of the action plan while Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año will serve as chairman and vice chairman, respectively.
The rationale behind their appointment lies in “their culture of discipline, obedience to superiors, training in organization, tactical strategies in fighting the enemies of the state, and thorough preparedness in organization,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said.
“They are not embroiled in bureaucratic rigmaroles. They abhor useless debates, they are silent workers, not voracious talkers. They act without fanfare. They get things done,” he added.
With the three men at the helm, Panelo said members of the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines are expected to follow their orders “without question and with impartiality in the strict implementation of the protocols, guidelines and procedures established by the national government”.
“We are in state of war against an unseen enemy and we need men and women trained in the art of warfare,” Panelo said.
“They will spare no one nor exempt anyone, whether in the private sector or in the government, in applying the law as well as the restrictions imposed by the Constitution in times of national emergency,” he added.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, spokesperson for the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, announced Wednesday, March 25, the rollout of the National Action Plan to eliminate the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
As contained in the task force’s Resolution No. 15, the plan includes the creation of a system or platform for regular reporting and updating on Covid-19 related news in the country as well as regular issuance of press releases and other measures to provide information to the public.
The plan also calls for measures to contain and mitigate the spread of the virus as well as the detection, identification, and isolation of Covid-19 carriers.
A new organizational structure would be put in place "to streamline and decentralize the operations in addressing the Covid-19 pandemic."
"The IATF will serve as the policy-making body of the operations, while National Task Force (NTF) Covid-19 shall serve as the operational command to be headed by the Secretary of National Defense,” Nograles said.
Under this setup, "the National Incident Command (NIC) will take charge of the day-to-day concerns and operations in the fight against Covid-19."
"Mga kababayan, this is a war that will be fought on many fronts, and your cooperation and support are crucial in our efforts to beat Covid-19 and to save lives," Nograles said.
"Whatever our disagreements, whatever our misunderstandings, what is not debatable is this: the enemy is Covid-19 ––and we have a greater chance of defeating the enemy if we work together and lift each other up rather than pull each other down," he added. (MVI/SunStar Philippines)