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Congressmen, OCTA Research agree on accurate, responsible information on pandemic
Congressmen, OCTA Research agree on accurate, responsible information on pandemic
The House of Representatives ended its inquiry on OCTA Research Philippines on Monday, October 11, with the call for accuracy and responsible information about the COVID-19 situation in the country.
This came about after the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, under its chairman DIWA partylist Rep. Michael Edgar Aglipay, continued its probe on OCTA Research Philippines.
"The pronouncements of OCTA can give the Filipino people either hope or fear, with OCTA’s heightened attention from the media. This is exactly why the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability must hold these hearings – to exact accountability from research groups – may they be composed of Fellows employed by public institutions, or recipients of public grants from the government," Aglipay said in his opening statement.
"As I said in our last meeting – with great power comes great responsibility. There is a need to be more discerning and judicious in using research analysis of experts and scientists. Our methodologies must be effective and accurate. The interpretation must be based on truthful data, not exaggerations to incite panic and fear. And at the end of the day, science must always be objective, never subjective." Aglipay added that the battle against COVID-19 does not only require a ‘whole-of-government’ approach, but a ‘whole-of-country’ approach and that private research institutions and government agencies must come together and act in unison in fighting the deadly virus.
He also reminded OCTA Research to limit their announcements to just press statements to the media.
Aside from Aglipay also giving their interpellations during the hearing were Bagong Henerasyon partylist Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy, Marikina City Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo and Ilocos Sur Rep. Kristine Singson-Meehan.
Quimbo, in her opening remarks, emphasized the need for the best data available and best data analytics that can be utilized to provide the public with accurate and relevant data. She also inquired about the UP computational research lab.
Singson-Meehan asked about the accountability of OCTA Research to the scientific community.
Herrera-Dy inquired about the possibility of the Department of Health (DOH) and OCTA Research working together and the issue of data being released to the public.
Also appearing in the House hearing as resource speakers were DOH Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire, Ateneo de Manila University professor and FASSSTER head Dr. Elvira de Lara-Tuprio, University of the Philippines (UP) professor Cynthia Banzon Bautista, OCTA Research Philippines Team fellows Ranjit Rye, Guido David, Michael Tee, and Fr. Nicanor Austriarco, Concerned Doctors and Citizens of the Philippines (CDC PH) members Bienvenido "Nonoy" Oplas, Jr. and Dr. Godofreda "Jody" Dalmacion, and AAMBIS-OWA Partylist Rep. Sharon Garin.
Rye, a UP political science assistant professor, said that OCTA Research is doing its best to work with and help the government, private sector and the public to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
"OCTA Research is one with the government, it is one with Congress, it is one with the private sector, and the entire nation in our collective effort to fight the COVID-19 pandemic," Rye said.
"Likewise we reaffirm our commitment to support and contribute to the national government's efforts to effectively address the challenge of COVID-19. All these we do as part of our public service to the nation." Guido, also a UP professor, presented and explained the methodology and data analysis used by OCTA Research while Tee talked about the group's research work.
Fr. Austriarco, a Fil-American biologist and fellow at the University of Santo Tomas, gave his views on the challenges of providing information about the pandemic.
OCTA Research also clarified the issue on its funding as a non-stock, non-profit self-supporting organization that undertakes research on COVID-19 and public opinion research.
Vergeire, for her part, addressed the questions about their data analytics team looking at the COVID-19 projections and with OCTA Research while De Lara-Tuprio, an expert in disease modeling, gave an explanation of the DOH-FASSSTER model which is used for creating disease models and generating projections.
Oplas challenged the 'questionable' predictions made by OCTA Research while Dalmacion noted the need for good communication and conflict of interest of a research organization. (Melvin Sarangay)