Bong Revilla’s staff succumbs to COVID-19

A male staff member of Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. succumbed to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Sunday, according to the lawmaker.

“I lost my staff and friend of almost 30 years to COVID-19 this afternoon,” Revilla said in a statement.

“Everything was so fast and sudden. He has been with me mula sa pag-aartista—through the ups and downs, the thick and thin—tapos ngayon wala na siya.”

The senator earlier announced that the staff member had been confined at a hospital in Imus, Cavite since March 22 “due to an initial diagnosis of pneumonia.”  

The patient had no history of travel or exposure to known COVID-19 cases.

He was last seen at the Senate on March 16 when he returned to claim his salary.

“Napakabilis ka namang kinuha sa amin, at ni huling pamamaalam, hindi namin puwedeng ibigay sa'yo. Napakasakit,” Revilla lamented.

The senator called on the public to stay at home to protect themselves and their families from COVID-19, which has so far claimed 71 lives and infected over 1,400 people in the country.

“Mga kababayan, napakabagsik ng sakit na ito. At sa pagdapo nito kung kanino, daig pa ang napakatalas na punglo na babaon sa puso ng mga nagmamahal sa'yo,” he said. — RSJ, GMA News