The Bohol Inter Agency Task Force (BIATF) spokesman Dr. Cesar Tomas Lopez revealed that the hotlines at the PHO have been in operation for quite a while, debunking the claims of a quarter that the creation of the hotlines is realized through the quarter’s prodding and suggestions.
He made the revelation during a radio interview on Thursday, July 8, 2021 over NEWSMAKERS radio program hosted by Ardy Araneta-Batoy, Gloria Araneta and Dave Albarado.
He explained that the PHO has already been maintaining hotlines since January 24, 2020 and the communications system was created by virtue of Executive Order (EO) No. 3 series of 2020 issued by then Acting Gov. Rene Relampagos.
Thus, according to Dr. Lopez, it is inaccurate to say that the hotlines are created based on the suggestion of a certain quarter.
He added that it is a “big slap” on the face of the members of the BIATF if they will be accused of not having come up with hotlines and of having taken the suggestion of a quarter for the communication system to be created.
Moreover, Lopez said that the PHO hotlines are currently being integrated with the Telephone and Radio System Integrated Emergency Response (TaRSIER) command center for the Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
It can be remembered that the idea of an EOC was first floated by Gov. Arthur Yap back in February 2021 and the plans for the TaRSIER command center were first revealed to the public around the third quarter of 2019, according to reports.
Furthermore, Lopez declared as “assuming” the quarter who boasted that the creation of hotlines is its suggestion by grabbing credit about the hotlines when in fact the said hotlines have already been in place long before the supposed “suggestion” of a certain quarter happened.