Muling dinipensahan ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang kanyang desisyon na magtalaga ng mga dating opisyal ng militar sa pagtugon sa Covid-19 pandemic.

“This is a mechanical act. It is not a study of medicine. Parang transaction sa negosyo,” paliwanag ni Duterte noong Miyerkules.

“You need not be a doctor here, because you are transacting a business. It is not really a matter of medical science that you are talking of,” dagdag pa nito.

Pinangungunahan ni Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana ang National Task Forces against COVID-19, habang vice chairman naman nito si dating Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff at ngayo’y Interior Secretary Eduardo Año.

Si Carlito Galvez, Jr. naman, dating AFP chief, ang kasalukuyang Vaccine czar at chief implementer ng national response kontra Covid-19.

Itinalaga rin ng Pangulo si Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu upang pangasiwaan ang Covid-19 response sa Cebu noong nakaraang taon.

Ayon sa Malacañang, kinakailangan ng bansa ang “men and women trained in the art of warfare,” sapagkat nasa “state of war against an unseen enemy” ang bansa.