Kiko Pangilinan tests negative for COVID-19

Vice presidential aspirant and incumbent Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on Tuesday said his latest COVID-19 test yielded a negative result.

“My latest RT-PCR test result is negative! Sharon, the kids [and] househelp also negative!” Pangilinan said over Twitter.

“My Dr. sister says my prior result was a false positive as none of us have symptoms. We need FREE testing for ALL who need it so we are ALL better prepared to manage [COVID-19],” he added.

On Sunday, Pangilinan announced that he was in isolation after his routine RT-PCR test result showed he was positive for the virus.

He said his sister, a physician by profession, raised the possibility of the test yielding a “false positive” as laboratories across the country are swamped with tests.

On Monday, the Philippines for the second consecutive day logged an all-time high tally of new COVID-19 infections with 33,169 cases, bringing the total caseload to 2,998,530.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Monday said the Philippines has been classified as at critical risk for COVID-19 due to the sudden spike of infections believed to be driven by the Omicron variant. —Hana Bordey/KG, GMA News