By AARON RECUENCO
Philippine National Police chief Gen. Archie Gamboa has tested negative for COVID-19.
Gamboa was feared to have been infected after Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año contracted the disease.
Police Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, spokesman of the Philippine National Police, said that Gamboa had no meeting with Año in the past days, or even before the Interior and Local Government Secretary went on a self-quarantine last March 26.
Año went on self-quarantine after finding out that four of the government officials he had close contact with tested positive for COVID-19. He was tested on March 27 and on March 31, the results came out and he was positive.
“PNP chief Archie Gamboa had no meeting with the SILG (Secretary of the Interior and Local Government). He is on duty, up and running the entire affairs of the PNP amid the enhanced community quarantine,” said Banac.
Gamboa had limited exposure before the Luzon-wide home quarantine since he has yet to recover from the injuries he suffered in the helicopter crash in Laguna.
Banac said that Gamboa remains healthy but strictly observing the protocols like social distancing and wearing at least a face mask and gloves.
ZAMORA ALSO
San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora tested negative for COVID-19 yesterday, days after he placed himself under self-quarantine due to exposure to one of his staff that tested positive.
“My COVID-19 test shows that I am negative. Thank you so much dear Lord for this blessing,” Zamora said in a Facebook page post.
Zamora added that will finish his 14-day quarantine as advised by the Department of Health and as per protocol.
“I am now on my fourth day and continue to feel perfectly okay. Thank you very much for your prayers and well wishes. God is good!” he said.
Meanwhile, San Juan City yesterday opened its new COVID-19 Overflow Quarantine Facility called the San Juan COVID-19 Kalinga Kontra Korona Center in partnership with Xavier School and the Alumni Association of Xavier School.
AÑO POSITIVE
Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año tested positive for COVID-19.
Año said that he learned the test result Tuesday from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa City.
He said that he was tested on March 27 after learning that four of the government officials he had close contact with also tested positive for COVID-19. Two of them were military chief of staff Gen. Felimon Santos and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority General Manager Jojo Garcia.
“I’m okay. I will continue my home quarantine, I will continue working from home,” said Año who is on a self-quarantine since March 26.
He said that the self-quarantine did not affect his job as Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary and one of the officials of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
He said he has been talking to people at the DILG and fellow officials in Malacanang and attending teleconference meetings. (Aaron Recuenco)
RIZAL TOWN VM
PASSES AWAY
JALA-JALA, Rizal – The vice mayor here passed away due to COVID-19.
There has been an outpouring of grief on social media from residents about the death of Vice Mayor Jose delos Santos
Delos Santos’ son, Jom, in an FB post, thanked those who condoled with their family. Jom urged residents who would like to condole not to gather together at this time to prevent the spread of the dreaded virus.
Jaed Enriquez, head of the Municipal Risk Reduction and Management Office, said that the vice mayor’s colleagues in the municipal government, including the Sangguniang Bayan, of which he is the presiding officer, are saddened by the passing of Delos Santos.
“Mabait at humble person po,” said Enriquez, referring to Delos Santos when asked what he would remember about the vice mayor. (Nel Andrade)