Revilla mourns death of staffer to COVID-19

Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Jr. is mourning the death of his long-time staffer and friend who succumbed to COVID-19.

The senator confirmed the passing of his staffer, who had been with him for almost 30 years, through a statement.

The staffer was last seen at the Senate on March 16, was hospitalized on March 19, and was cremated on Sunday evening.

Revilla recounted how sudden and fast the illness took his friend and thanked the deceased for his loyalty and love to his family.

The senator will extend his self-quarantine as a precautionary measure, despite testing negative for the virus.

Revilla's wife, Bacoor City Mayor Lani Mercado, is also under self-quarantine after exposure to a constituent.

As of Monday, the Philippines has 1,546 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 78 deaths and 42 recoveries.