Senator Koko Pimentel confirmed that he has tested positive of COVID-19.
In his message to the reporters, he asked for prayers for his fast recovery and his pregnant wife who is about to give birth in the next few days to their first child.
“I would like to ask for your prayers, especially for my wife Kath, who is about to give birth in the next few days to our first baby girl, and with whom I cannot be at this very important point in our lives as parents,” Pimentel said in a text message to reporters.
Pimentel said he started feeling ill on March 14 with body pains, slight sore throat and cough but his breathing remained fine.
He had a fever at 38 degrees Celsius on March 18 and experienced diarrhea.
The senator has quarantined himself immediately after receiving the result.
Now he is back to normal, he said, but with the usual aches even without the flu.
He is optimistic that by maintaining a healthy diet, boosting his immune system, and sleeping well, he can recover faster.
Authorities have started tracing the people he came in contact with in the past weeks.
Pimentel is the second senator who was infected by the disease after his colleague Senator Migz Zubiri tested positive on March 16.
12 other senators also went into self-quarantine after discovering that one of the resource persons in a March 5 Senate hearing tested positive for COVID-19.
Recently, politicians received criticism for the alleged report that they were being prioritized in getting tested even if they were asymptomatic.
It is under the revised protocol that only persons under investigations with mild symptoms who are elderly with underlying conditions and admitted PUIs in severe and critical condition are entitled for testing.
The Department of Health (DOH) clarified that there is no such thing as VIP testing.
However, a “courtesy” was being given to officials holding positions of national security and public health.
As of Tuesday, March 24, the Philippines recorded 552 confirmed cases of corona virus disease, with 33 deaths and 20 recoveries.
