Coronavirus: Duterte ally Koko Pimentel blasted for putting health care workers in danger as more doctors die
- Doctors and staff quarantined after the senator violated his home quarantine to accompany his pregnant wife to a Manila hospital
- This comes as nine doctors have died and hundreds more are in isolation as the Philippines struggles to cope with the Covid-19 outbreak
Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III found out he had the virus after accompanying his wife to Makati Medical Centre for a scheduled caesarean section delivery on Tuesday. He admitted to suffering flu-like symptoms since March 14.
The hospital on Wednesday issued a scathing statement, accusing Pimentel of violating his home quarantine and forcing doctors and staff members who had contact with him to be quarantined. “We denounce the irresponsible and reckless action of the senator,” the centre said.
Pimentel apologised to the hospital on Thursday, saying in a statement that he had not intended to breach its containment protocols and cause “additional anguish and concern to the courageous frontline health workers we all depend on”. He said he was simply there to be with his wife for the birth of their daughter.
But members of the public were having none of it, and started a Change.org petition calling on Pimentel to be expelled from the senate and charged with violating the law. By Thursday night the petition had 140,000 signatures.
Pimentel is president of PDP-Laban, the ruling party that is chaired by Duterte. He is the third senator in the country to have the virus. Juan Miguel Zubiri said on March 16 he had contracted Covid-19, while Sonny Angara tested positive on Thursday.
News that Pimentel had tested positive led to a scramble to trace his movements.
The supermarket chain S&R said CCTV cameras at one of its branches showed Pimentel had shopped there on March 16, and it had placed employees who came into contact with him under quarantine and disinfected the outlet.
Photos and a video of Pimentel socialising with top government officials and personalities this month have been circulating on social media. On March 4, he attended a meeting at the mansion of boxer-senator Manny Pacquiao.
A week later, on March 11, he shook hands with Duterte’s daughter, Davao City mayor Sara Duterte.
The justice department said it would not investigate Pimentel’s case.
On Twitter, angry social media users cited his actions as yet another instance of the powerful and wealthy behaving badly as the Philippines desperately tries to control the coronavirus outbreak. It has locked down Luzon, home to 55 million people, and exhorted people to stay at home.
“Stupid and selfish,” one tweet said, while others called for sanctions against the senator, including throwing him in jail.
Leaked data shows Philippine politicians received ‘VIP’ coronavirus testing
On Thursday, the state-owned broadcasting company announced the presidential security group was considering filing a lawsuit against congressman Eric Yap, for going to the presidential palace and meeting Duterte despite being a person under investigation (PUI) for Covid-19. As a result, more than 20 staffers at the presidential palace have been put under quarantine.
Senator Christopher Bong Go, a close aide of Duterte, said he would self-quarantine because he had met with Yap.
In a statement, the Philippine Alliance of Patient Organisations (PAPO) said “this behaviour seems to come from a feeling of privilege and entitlement”.
“To politicians who want to be treated like VIPs, we say ENOUGH. Country first before egotistic political entitlement,” the PAPO said.
Philippine Congress approves national emergency declaration
The Philippine Medical Association on Thursday stressed that health workers were not getting enough protection.
“If it were up to me, test the frontliners first and test them again after seven days. Doctors could be carriers themselves,” said Benito Atienza, vice-president of the Philippine Medical Association.
Three large Manila hospitals announced on Wednesday they had reached full capacity and would no longer accept new coronavirus cases.
Hundreds of medical staff are no longer seeing patients because they are undergoing 14-day self-quarantines after suspected exposure, the hospitals said.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse and dpa
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