The government's pandemic response does not have to be led by doctors, President Duterte declared Wednesday in his latest defense of his preference for former military officers to get the job done.
The President explained that he chose vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. to implement the government’s plan to fight the pandemic, particularly the vaccine rollout, since it required business, not medical, skills.
"Kaya nga kayo nagtatanong bakit kaya masyadong atat sa military wala mang alam ‘yan? Hindi man ito --- (You're asking me why am I'm eager to appoint the military when they know nothing?) This is a mechanical act. It is not a study of medicine. Ano ito parang transaction sa negosyo kaya tinawag ko si Galvez, Secretary, para siya ang magdala (This is like a business transaction that's why I called Secretary Galvez to lead it)," Duterte said during a televised address Wednesday, March 24.
"You need not be a doctor here ‘coz you are transacting a business. It is not really a matter of medical science that you are talking of," he said.
The President's comments came after some lawmakers sought the abolition or reorganization of the government task force in charge of addressing the pandemic over alleged failure to curb the country's rapid surge in coronavirus cases. The Palace earlier rejected the abolition of the task force and dismissed the latest round of criticisms as mere politicking related to the 2022 elections.
The President has appointed several retired military officials to various government positions since 2016, saying they were honest and reliable.
Galvez, former Armed Forces chief, currently serves as Chief Implementer of the government's National Action Plan against the COVID-19 pandemic. He supervises and coordinates the task groups on response operations, resource management and logistics, and strategic communications.
The President's peace adviser also heads the government's coronavirus vaccine acquisition and distribution program. Galvez, a graduate of Philippine Military Academy, earned a master's degree in project management at the University of New South Wales in Australia.
Other former military men involved in the National Task Force Force against COVID-19 are Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, chairman, and Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año, vice-chairman. The task force implements the policies issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), the policy-making group of the government on pandemic response.