Former UP dean, House employee among latest COVID deaths

MANILA, Philippines — A University of the Philippines political science professor and former dean has died of severe pneumonia caused by coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The university confirmed that Aileen San Pablo-Baviera, former Asian Center dean, passed away at the San Lazaro Hospital yesterday at 3:55 a.m. She was 60.

The university confirmed that Baviera died due to severe pneumonia caused by COVID-19. Baviera, one of the country’s foremost experts in international relations and in Asian and China studies, contracted the disease during a recent trip to France.

She went to Paris to attend the first Indo-Pacific Conference from March 4 to 11, where one of the participants was confirmed to have contracted the illness.

2nd House COVID death

The House of Representatives announced that the chief-of-staff of a Bicolano lawmaker died at around 9 a.m. yesterday while in isolation in a hospital in Quezon City.

He died just hours before the results of COVID-19 testing on him came out showing him positive for the disease. Throughout hospitalization – including a week in the intensive care unit – he was considered only as person under investigation (PUI).

In a statement sent to reporters, House secretary general Jose Luis Montales revealed that the 65-year-old legislative staff last reported for work on March 4. He was admitted to the hospital on March 13.

Montales said the person had an unspecified pre-existing ailment.

“He had no history of travel to any country with confirmed COVID-19 case and no known exposure to a confirmed case,” the House official said.

Prior to hospitalization, the person attended a garden wedding in Almanza, Cavite last March 7 before developing symptoms days later.