Koko answers quarantine breach rap

MANILA, Philippines — Three months after a complaint for violating quarantine protocols was filed against him, Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III answered the allegations and submitted his counter-affidavit to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday.

Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento of the DOJ’s National Prosecution Service said yesterday that they received Pimentel’s counter-affidavit, which was also filed electronically on July 15.

“Yes, via email. Let us wait if complainant will file a reply,” Malcontento told reporters.

He said the complainant, former University of Makati School of Law dean Rico Quicho, has five days to submit his reply and it was possible that the senator might submit a rejoinder.

On April 5, Quicho filed a complaint against Pimentel for violation of Republic Act 11332, the law on the mandatory reporting of notifiable diseases and health events of public concern.

Quicho accused Pimentel of entering Makati Medical Center (MMC) despite allegedly knowing that he is suspected of being infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

It was earlier reported that on March 24, the senator might have broken the regulations of home quarantine when he accompanied his wife Kathryna to the MMC, where she was supposed to give birth the following day.

It was while Pimentel was at the hospital that he reportedly got a call from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine confirming that he was positive for COVID-19.

Pimentel apologized to the MMC and the hospital said they “take note” of his apology.