Boyet de Leon gets COVID; Baste goes on self-quarantine

MANILA, Philippines — Veteran actor Christopher de Leon has disclosed that he has tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

In an Instagram post yesterday, the award-winning actor said he had no history of travel overseas and no known contact with anyone infected by the virus.

“However, due to the nature of my work in the entertainment business, I have interacted with many people,” he said as he urged people who have come in contact with him in the past two weeks to observe self-quarantine.

He said his wife Sandy, daughter Mica and household helper were also on self-quarantine at their home.

In Davao City, Vice Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte has volunteered to undergo self-quarantine as he considered himself a “person under monitoring” because of a recurring sore throat.

Swab tests also have been administered on President Duterte’s younger son.

Members of Duterte’s family were tested on Monday for COVID-19 in Davao City.

Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go told The STAR that Duterte’s partner Honeylet Avanceña and their daughter Kitty were also tested for COVID-19.

A separate swab test was taken on presidential son and Davao City first district Rep. Paolo Duterte.

Go said the collected samples have yet to be sent to Manila for further laboratory examinations at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).

Go said the tests were to make sure of the status of the members of the President’s family.

Sources, however, said the samples for the first family were brought to Manila on Monday by a C-130 flight of the Philippine Air Force, which incidentally was on a flight to Davao City.

The President last week tested negative for the disease after he attended an event where a person who tested positive for COVID-19 was also present.

Meanwhile, presidential daughter and Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio had undergone self-quarantine and tested negative for COVID-19 after she attended a hearing at the Senate the other week. – With Paolo Romero, Sheila Crisostomo, Janvic Mateo