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Malacanang reiterated on Thursday that it is better for OCTA Research Team to direct privately their recommendation on quarantine classifications to President Rodrigo Duterte as some local government units have been complaining about it.

In a televised press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that the group has been basing its recommendations on the data of the Department of Health as it has "no data-gathering mechanism" of its own.

"They are basing their forecast from the government's data. So, we are not hiding anything. All of the data are in the web page of the Department of Health," he said.

"But the (quarantine) classification is a sensitive (matter) and next week, a step-by-step process will be made before reaching to the recommendation on the classification or quarantine classification," Roque said.

The current quarantine classifications in various parts of the country will expire by the end of the month and new quarantine protocols will be announced by Duterte on or before October 31.

Roque said when the OCTA Research Team made a recent recommendation on the quarantine classifications in some areas, the LGUs concerned complained.

"That's how sensitive (the matter) is because when you said that there is high number of COVID cases in a place, that's become a political issue in that particular place," he said, citing this gave the impression that the mayor or the governor has not been working hard to address the pandemic.

He said the government's purpose for making the classification is to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Roque said the Palace was not restraining the OCTA team, but the recommendation regarding the quarantine classifications should be addressed to the President or the LGUs if they involve municipalities or barangays.

OCTA researchers, in a recent monitoring report, suggested the enforcement of stricter quarantine protocols in Bauan, Batangas; Calbayog in Western Samar; and General Trias in Cavite due to rising COVID-19 daily attack rates.

The national government's quarantine classifications are focused on provinces, highly urbanized cities and independent component cities. Celerina Monte/DMS