Solon slams authorities for allowing flights from Wuhan to land in PHL

A lawmaker on Monday criticized government agencies for allowing flights from Wuhan, China to land in the country despite the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in the Chinese city.

In a statement, Agusan Del Norte Representative Lawrence Fortun urged authorities to impose the strictest protocols amid the threat of the virus, which had claimed the lives of at least 50 people in China and infected others in many countries.

"Why were we still allowing flights from Wuhan to land in the Philippines in the first place? Why did we have to wait for their announcement of lockdown before deciding to prohibit entry of flights coming from a place already confirmed to be the epicenter of the outbreak of a fatal virus that has turned epidemic?" Fortun said.

"And now, we have to send at least 500 travelers back? And that is not even a decision reached by our authorities, but the airlines?" he added.

Last week, a plane carrying 135 passengers from Wuhan landed in Kalibo, Aklan just hours before a lockdown was imposed in the Chinese city. 

All passengers of the said flight were set to return to Wuhan later in the day. 

When circumstances warrant

Fortun added that there was no need to wait for instructions from Chinese authorities on a lockdown before the Philippine government bans flights coming from China.

"The Chinese government itself has restricted travels not only to and from Wuhan but other cities and provinces as well," he pointed out.

"When circumstances already warrant, we need not wait for another announcement of lockdown before considering bans of flights from these places," he added.

As many visitors from China and other East Asian countries were coming to the Philippines for tourism or work, Fortun said the Philippine government needed to strictly implement inviolable protocols that protect public health and safety.

"The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, the various airport agencies, and the DOH must not leave anything to chance. Leave no stone unturned, lest we regret," he said.

"Only recently, African swine flu infected our country's meat supply when infected pork products managed to slip through NAIA. Let that experience be our lesson. We have to, at the onset, address every way this deadly novel coronavirus could get into our country."

The Philippines suspended all direct flights coming from Wuhan after the plane carrying 135 passengers landed in the country.  — DVM, GMA News