Manila Bulletin
Tolentino apologizes for taking COVID-19 test
Senator Francis Tolentino apologized for undergoing a COVID-19 test, stating he had symptoms and was exposed to individuals linked to a confirmed case.
He developed a persistent cold and dry cough during self-quarantine, which prompted him to seek testing when medication proved insufficient.
Tolentino clarified that his COVID-19 test was not administered by the Department of Health (DOH) but by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).
He explained that he would have publicly shared a positive result to inform those he had contact with.
The apology came amid public backlash and the trending hashtag #NoToVIPTesting, protesting politicians undergoing tests due to scarcity and deviation from DOH protocols.
Tolentino was among several senators tested after Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri announced he was COVID-19 positive.
The DOH had previously acknowledged a shortage of testing kits and difficulties in testing capabilities, prioritizing patients with severe symptoms or those with existing conditions.
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Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III announced on Wednesday, March 25, that he tested positive for COVID-19 after being swabbed on Friday, March 20.
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ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Eric Go Yap has accepted the apology of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) for a clerical error that mistakenly reported him as positive for COVID-19.
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