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Duque agrees with Makati Med: Koko violated quarantine protocols


Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Thursday said Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III broke home quarantine protocols when he accompanied his wife to the Makati Medical Center while he was still classified as a person under investigation for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Pimentel was eventually confirmed to have contracted the disease, which has so far infected 700 people and killed 45 of them in the Philippines.

“Kami po ay sumasangayon na nagkaroon ng breach sa quarantine protocol at na hindi dapat nangyari ito… Ganap tayong makikipagtulungan sa mga aksyon na tatahakin ng mga [lead] agencies,” Duque said at a virtual press conference, referring to departments enforcing peace and order.

In a statement on Wednesday, MMC Medical Director Dr. Saturnino Javier described Pimentel's actions as "irresponsible and reckless,' saying that by being at the MMC and entering the delivery room, Pimentel violated his Home Quarantine Protocol and unduly exposed the staff at the hospital to possible infection.

Javier said he was leaving it to the hospital management to decide whether or not to press charges against the lawmakers.

The Office of the Ombudsman is already looking into the possibility of probing the incident. A private lawyer has also signified his intention to file criminal, civil, and administrative complaints against Pimentel.

Pimental has already apologized for the incident, saying he went with his wife to the hospital because he was excited about her delivery and thought he could not transmit the virus through droplets because he was not coughing anyway.

At Thursday's press conference, Duque, meanwhile, belied claims of “VIP treatment” for high-ranking officials after netizens slammed asymptomatic politicians who were tested for COVID-19 despite the limited number of test kits in the country.

“Atin pong pinapaalala sa mga laboratoryo na sundin ang ‘first-in, first-out’ policy sa pagproseso ng mga specimen. Binibilisan din po natin ang expansion ng ating testing centers upang matugunan ang backlog,” he said. -MDM, GMA News

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