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MANILA: Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief, Gen. Felimon Santos Jr., has tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
The army’s public affairs office said that the country’s military leader was tested for the virus on March 23 and received the result on Friday.
Other key officials including Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana, who recently came into contact with Santos, will now also have to go into self-quarantine.
The AFP said that Santos was “well and in good health,” and would be “on strict home quarantine” for 14 days starting Friday at his military quarters in Camp Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo where he would carry on with his duties and responsibilities. However, his health would be closely monitored by military physicians from the V. Luna Medical Center.
Meanwhile, President Rodrigo Duterte will be celebrating his 75th birthday on Saturday also in self-quarantine as a precautionary measure after a number of government officials and lawmakers who recently attended meetings in Malacanang (his official residence in Manila) tested positive for COVID-19.
Presidential spokesman, Salvador Panelo, said: “Duterte will continue with his work while on quarantine. His only birthday wish is for our countrymen to stay home and the total eradication of the coronavirus.”
It is thought that Santos was exposed to the virus during a ceremony on March 13 to mark the rank of a newly promoted senior military officer who had recently traveled abroad and was later tested positive for COVID-19.
Santos said he was disclosing the result of his test to alert those he had come into close contact with him to observe the medical protocol of self-quarantine if asymptomatic, or seek medical advice if symptoms appeared. Lorenzana, who had direct contact with the AFP chief on two separate occasions during the period, said he would be starting self-quarantine with immediate effect.

“I had close proximity with him on two occasions: In VAB (Villamor Air Base) during the turnover of medical supplies to me last Sunday and again on Monday afternoon here in GHQ (general headquarters) and at the Heroes Hall, Malacanang.”
The defense secretary added: “I have no symptoms, but protocol says I have to self-quarantine for 14 days.”
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat has also announced that she will undergo self-quarantine after a meeting with Santos on March 20. Puyat said she was asymptomatic and would not have herself tested for COVID-19 “in order to save the limited supply of testing kits for people who truly need it.”
As well as Duterte, members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) detailed in Malacanang were also required to undertake self-quarantine from March 28 until April 10 as a precautionary measure. PSG commander, Col. Jesus Durante III, said the move was not only to ensure the safety of its personnel but also to safeguard the health of Duterte.
The Philippines currently has 803 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 54 recorded deaths and 31 recovered patients.