‘Untested’ students allowed to go home, finding positive

CEBU, Philippines —  Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella has ordered an investigation into why students from Maguindanao province attending school here in the city were allowed to travel back to their hometowns allegedly without being tested.

It was reported Tuesday that 11 more students who came from Cebu City and arrived recently in Maguindanao have tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), according to Dr. Elizabeth Samama, chief of the Maguindanao Provincial Hospital.

The new confirmed cases brought to 12 the number of students who tested positive for COVID-19 in Maguindanao after supposedly availing of province's Balik Probinsiya Program.

Samama said a 22-year-old student, who was the first to be found positive, is now being isolated. So are the others.

“I-verify pa nato kung tinuod ba gyud nga nag-positive ang kining mao nga mga estudyante,” Cebu City Legal Officer Rey Gealon told reporters after saying that Labella wanted the matter looked into.

Gealon said they will get the names of the students and have them identified, especially the areas in the city where they exactly came from.

He clarified though that the mayor, through the City Health Department, followed the rules and regulations of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

He said before a student or anyone is allowed to travel, they must first comply with the requirements, such as a clearance from the CHD stating that he or she is COVID-19 negative and an exit clearance to be acquired once the local government unit of his or her port of destination allows the entry.

“Mao pa na ang atong gisunod nga mga lagda kay karon naa namay bag-o kung diin ang atong kapolisan mao nay mo-issue sa maong clearance pagpagawas,” said Gealon.

“So atong nasabtan nga sa adtong higayona nga nibyahe sila paingog Maguinda-nao mao na ang atong gisunod. Naa sila nianang mao nga mga rekisitos,” he added.

According to Bangsamoro Health Minister Saffrullah Dipatuan, the students, and four others, were fetched by the Maguindanao provincial government in Cagayan de Oro City and arrived in Maguindanao on May 15.

He said there were 16 students stranded in Cebu City who returned to Maguindanao.

“Hindi sila na-test. Ang nangyari, dito natin sila na-test at yun ang naging resulta (positive),” he said.

Upon arrival, the students were immediately sent to an isolation facility near the Maguindanao Provincial Hospital. JMD (FREEMAN)