Galvez named chief of government response vs COVID

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte has named his peace adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. as chief implementer of the country’s national policy against the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The designation of Galvez is contained in a memorandum signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on March 24.

“As Chief Implementer, Secretary Galvez has been directed to ensure the strict compliance and adherence of everyone (public and private sector) to the guidelines and protocols issued by the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases),” Medialdea said in the memorandum.

He said Galvez was also tasked to promote and protect the welfare and safety of the public at all times and “ensure the efficient and expeditious distribution of government assistance to the public, with particular attention to our citizens who are in most need.”

It was unclear how Galvez’s role as chief implementer differs from the naming of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana as chairman of the national action plan on COVID-19, a strategy that outlines measures for containing and mitigating the spread of the virus.