ffifo rHuRsDAt FEBRUAR'
Gontain Ghina uirus,
The House Committee on Metro
Manila Development called on the
Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerg-
ing Infectious Diseases, headed by
Department of Health Secretary
Francisco Duque III, yesterday to
shape up and get their-acts to-
gether to contain and control the
spread of the 2019 novelcoronavi-
rus in the country
The House panel, chaired by
Manila Rep. Manuel Luis "Manny"
Lopez, unanimously approved the
motion made by Muntinlupa City
Rep. Rozzano Rufino "Ruffu" Bi-
azon calling on Duque to do every-
thing to control the spread of the
coronavirus.
"I would like to make a motlon
that the committee issue a resolu-
tion. No. 1, fOr the committee to
call on the Secretary of Health as
chair of Inter-Agency Task Force
on Emerging Infedious Disease to
utilize all powers and authoritythat
are in his disposal as chair, includ-
ing executive issuances, in order to
do everything to contain and con-
6, 2o2o 7
trol this public health emergency,"
Biazon said.
"No. 2, that all membeB of the -
Task Force to recoglize and pro-
adively assist the chairman of the
Task Force in carrying out the ob-.
iectives and mission of that Task
'rorce.
It is time 6r the\dsk Force
to act as a team," he added.
Biazon's motion was seconded
by partylist Rep. Aloy Lim.
Biazofi had earlier questioned
the absence of Duque during
the hearing on the government's
efforts to fight the spread of the
coronavirus.
He sald Duque, as the over-
all manager handling the crisis,
should have attended the hearing
to personally relay to the panel
' the DoH's key initiatives on how to
address the spread of the wuhan
coronavirus.
"On the way to this hearing, I
heard over the radio that the Sec-
retary is on the way to Nueva Ecija
to inspect a proposed containment
facility. So I guess.this shows the
Il tolil
type of prioriues that the Secre-
tary has. As the overall in charge
of handling this crisis, I believe
he should have been here. Hindi
'yung taga-inspektor na lang ng
mga kuwarto," Biazon said.
"So to the Department of Health,
we appreciate your presence but
I'm very sure that there will be
questions here that you will be un-
able to answer," he added.
Lopez sald Duque "has asked to
be excused" because "he is in the
province to look for a quarantine
Blace."
The Manila solon said his panel
has required the Task Force to
"use all government resources and
maximize its powers" in addressing
the Wuhan coronavirus.
Biazon also urqed hls colleagues
to pass House Bill 6018 which
seeks the creation of the Pub-
lic Health Emergeny Council that
would formulate emergency Plan
for the preventon, detection,
management, and containment of
public health emergencies.
FAa<'7
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