Anakpawis paralegal with COVID-19 says he was detained at cramped jail

The Anakpawis partylist paralegal who tested positive for COVID-19 after a seven-day detention at Camp Karingal said he was detained at a cramped jail facility, where fellow inmates and even police officers were coughing and  looked unwell.

According to Emil Sumangil’s “24 Oras” report on Tuesday, Paolo Colabres received his positive COVID-19 test result on Monday.

Colabres was arrested without a warrant on August 11 for guarding the remains of slain peace consultant Randy Echanis.

He was swabbed and underwent quarantine after he was released on August 18.

“‘Yung mga dumadalaw sa’kin, napapansin po nila na may mga umuubo. Hindi ko na po papangalanan pero mga detinado at saka mga pulis na nandoon na parang masama ‘yung pakiramdam,” he said.

“Ordinaryong kulungan po na ang kasya mga kinse pero 36 po kami at nagpapalit-palitan ng tulog. Sana po hindi ako makahawa, makadamay pa ng iba,” Colabres added.

The paralegal said he is asymptomatic but will remain in quarantine until the first week of September.

“Ang na-track ko lang pong activity ko ay ‘yung lumabas ako ng August 10 at 11. ‘Yun po ‘yung pumunta sa punerarya para magbantay at August 11 po ng madaling araw no’ng nahuli ako,” he recalled.

The Quezon City Police District has not yet issued a statement on the matter.

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, for its part, said it cannot make a comment as it has not seen the swab test result. -Julia Mari Ornedo/MDM, GMA News