A nation of task forces

Still struggling with the ongoing 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, our country is once again battling with “killer” typhoons that perennially pass through our islands. Mostly developing in the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, at least an average of 20 tropical cyclones cross through the Philippines each year.

As a matter of fact, in just a span of two weeks, we have at least three of them coming in one after the other.

These are, namely – with their respective international names: Quinta (Molave); Rolly (Goni); and Siony (Atsani).

Since the Philippines immediately touches Pacific Ocean in the east, our poor homeland serves as point of entry of these tropical cyclones in this part of the world. Using the terms of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), they originate as low depression area (LPA) in the Pacific Ocean, some eventually develop into destructive tropical cyclones.

How strong a tropical cyclone is and its extent of devastation it leaves behind are what our neighboring countries in the East like China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam etc. watch out and prepare for in advance. We have most of these tropical cyclones during the rainy season in our country from June to October. But due to climate change, our typhoon season has literally changed and it now stretches throughout the entire year.

If it is any consolation to us, all of our neighbor countries are also in the same boat, so to speak during these times. We are all in the middle of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to wreak havoc on people’s lives and economic wellbeing.

In the case of the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte reactivated the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging and Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID). The IATF is a composite body of Cabinet-ranked officials that President Duterte has since then expanded and is co-chaired by Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles.

Incidentally, President Duterte may have a slip of the tongue last Monday in disclosing Duque has been recommended for suspension from office. The DOH Secretary was among the government officials implicated in the questioned transactions in the state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth). The President earlier designated Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo Guevarra to head Task Force PhilHealth to look into the alleged illegal COVID-related reimbursements at the PhilHealth.

On orders of the President, the DOJ Secretary formed Task Force PhilHealth. At the end of its 30-day investigation, TF PhilHealth submitted their 177-page report, recommending to President Duterte to “strongly admonish and remind the Chairman and members of the Board of the grave consequences of their action or inaction.” Nothing of that sort happened to Duque.

This came before the Senate Committee of the Whole and the House committee on accounts that earlier separately looked into these reported PhilHealth irregularities. Subsequently, both congressional committee reports submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman recommended that Duque be formally charged for his alleged failure as board chairman of the PhilHealth to check against approval of the payments of illegal reimbursements to various hospitals and health care centers.

Meanwhile, Duque and the same set of Cabinet officials at the IATF also compose the same membership of another inter-agency body to attend to natural and man-made calamities and catastrophes such as typhoons, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes etc. It is called as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

Arriving back in Manila from his Undas break spent in home residence in Davao City last Monday, President Duterte convened the NDRRMC, with some of its members, including Duque virtually present during the live streaming by government-owned PTV-4. After reporting the DOH actions among the people taken to evacuation centers before the onslaught of “Rolly,” the President lauded the embattled Duque for vigilance against the possible spread of COVID-19 infection and other diseases in the typhoon-hit areas.

“That’s why I cannot find any plausible or even a meager argument for your suspension... You are doing a good job, with the surveillance that you are doing and the vigilance, public health, is amply protected,” the President cited.

Also directly reporting to the President, the NDRRMC is headed by the Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. Incidentally, Lorenzana also co-chairs with Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) the National Task Force (NTF) implementing the anti-COVID measures of the government.

The NDRRMC was created under Republic Act (RA) 10121 that was approved into law on May 27, 2010. It took the 14th Congress to finally pass this into law after 21 years of revisions and its re-filing in four Congress past. Under RA 10121, the NDRRMC serves as the President’s adviser on disaster preparedness programs, disaster operations and rehabilitation efforts undertaken together by this working group. The Office of Civil Defense, an attached agency of the DND, is the administrator of this inter-agency body.

Despite existing NDRRMC, President Duterte still created a Task Force Bangon Marawi in 2017 to work on the rehabilitation of Marawi City in Lanao del Sur. The President mandated this Task Force to address the man-made devastations caused by the five-month war of government forces against the Islamic State-influenced local terrorists.

Thus, President Duterte wants the NDRRMC institutionalized, with full Cabinet-ranked Secretary of the Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR).

The proposed DDR bill is pending approval at the 18th Congress, specifically at the Senate where it has generated mixed support. A number of Senators questioned the need of another bureaucratic set up solely dedicated for this purpose.

So the bigger question is, should we remain a nation of task forces or create a permanent body like a DDR?