THE Department of Health (DOH) on Friday, July 14, 2023, lauded the decision of the Supreme Court (SC) to uphold the constitutionality of numerous regulations issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) in relation to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
In a statement, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said the DOH is grateful for the favorable ruling rendered by the SC as it only proves what the agency has been saying from the beginning.
"We take this opportunity to reaffirm that all regulations and policies implemented during the pandemic were enacted with the utmost consideration for the common good," said Herbosa.
"The DOH expresses profound gratitude for the favorable ruling rendered by the esteemed Supreme Court concerning the matter at hand," he added.
On Tuesday, the SC dismissed all petitions challenging the constitutionality of the numerous regulations issued by the IATF-EID.
The SC said the petitions are being dismissed as the issues raised by the petitioners require the determination and adjudication of "extremely technical and scientific facts" that need a full-blown proceeding before a court of first instance.
And with the SC decision, the health chief said they are now more determined to push for the administration of Covid-19 vaccines and booster shots.
"We emphasize the critical imperative of vaccination and booster doses as they remain our foremost line of defense against the COVID-19 virus," said Herbosa.
In doing so, he said the can successfully transition towards a post-pandemic era.
"By building a resilient barrier of immunity, we have substantially bolstered our collective resilience against the virus," said Herbosa. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)