Ibinasura ng Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases ang panukala ni Vice-President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo na isama bilang mga miyembro nito ang League of Cities.

Ito ang kinumpirma kahapon ni Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque.

“The concensus was if we were going to allow the mayors to join us regularly as a matter of course then we would be meeting 24 hours a day,” paglillinaw ni Roque nang kapayamin ng CNN Philippines.

Idinahilan ni Roque, binubuo na ng 33 pinuno ng iba’t ibang ahensya ang IATF at nagsasagawa ng pagpupulong sa pagitan ng walo hanggang 10 oras kada araw.

“So the resolution was we would just institutionalize the fact that we use local government officials as resource persons in IATF meetings,” pagdidiin nito.

Ipinaliwanag ni Roque na isa lamang ito sa mga mungkahing ipinarating sa kanya ni Robredo.

“We had a discussion on her letter in the IATF itself,” sabi ni Roque na nilinaw na tinalakay nila nang husto ang panukalang pagpapasama ng League of Cities sa IATF.

Banggit ni Roque, sasagutin nito ang liham ni Robredo.

“My answer today would be ‘thank you very much IATF has long recommended all of your suggestions’. here is nothing new with her recommendations,” sabi pa nito.

-Jeffrey G. Damicog