Senator Aquilino Martin “Koko Pimentel III faces a criminal complaint before the Department of Justice (DoJ) over his alleged breach of quarantine protocols.
Former University of Makati law dean Rico Quicho announced on his Facebook page that he filed the complaint at the DoJ just before noon on Monday, April 6.
“I filed with the Department of Justice (DoJ) through electronic mail, a Letter-Complaint against Senator Koko Pimentel detailing the clear facts and circumstances that establish his direct violation of RA No. 11332 (the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act) and its implementing rules and other DOH (Department of Health) regulations,” he said.
“With this, I hope the DOJ will swiftly act and pursue legal actions against Senator Koko Pimentel. We trust that DOJ will be true to its commitment to the Filipino people to uphold the rule of law without fear or favor,” he added.
The lawyer noted that the complaint references the online change.org petition that gathered around 200,000 signatures.
“We are one with the Filipino people in condemning negligent and reckless acts which expose the public, especially our health workers to unnecessary risks,” Quicho said.
The Makati Medical Center (MMC) has denounced the March 24 visit of Pimentel who accompanied his then pregnant wife who already gave birth last week.
Prior his disclosure that he tested positive with the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Pimentel was supposed to be on self-quarantine at that time he was considered a person under monitoring (PUM).
“As a lawyer and advocate of the rule of law, I cannot in good conscience allow the reckless actions of Senator Koko Pimentel to be brushed aside so easily. He blatantly violated laws, which put the lives and health of frontliners and even ordinary citizens at grave risk,” Quicho said.
“He has categorically admitted his breach without remorse. And yet because of his position, he is still not being made accountable,” he added. (Jeffrey Damicog)
