Tarlac town mayor on OFWs from China: We offer our homes to fellow Filipinos

CAPAS, Tarlac — Capas town Mayor Reynaldo Catacutan on Sunday said the statement he earlier issued rejecting the conversion of the Athletes’ Village in New Clark City into a temporary quarantine site for Filipinos from China is not a “final stand.”

Catacutan, who is in Germany, had asked the national government to find an alternative quarantine zone for repatriated Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from China’s city of Wuhan in Hubei province.

But Catacutan said his statement was just an “initial reaction from a father who was protecting his family.”

“Bilang ama ng Capas na malayo sa kanila, I initially reacted dahil nag-cause po ng panic ang biglaang balita na sa New Clark City dadalhin ang mga repatriated Filipinos na under monitoring,” Catacutan said in his new statement.

He said the officials and residents of Capas were “blindsided” since they were not consulted by the national government when it decided to use Athletes’ Village as as quarantine zone for returning OFWs who will be monitored for possible novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection.

But Catacutan acknowledged that the local government of Capas has no jurisdiction over NCC, which is under the Bases Conversion Development Authority.

Catacutan also said the national government does not need the permission of Capas officials to use NCC’s facilities.

“Capaseños experienced a lot of struggles/tragedies before but they won’t forget how to help,” Catacutan said.

He added: “We in Capas, offer our home, our sympathy, and prayers for the health of our fellow Filipinos at sana po magkaroon na ng permanenteng solusyon para sa nCoV.”

On Sunday morning, 30 repatriated Filipinos from Wuhan City in China have been transferred to NCC after their charted plane arrived at the Clark Air Base around 7 a.m. on Sunday.

Wuhan City is considered the epicenter of the global outbreak of nCoV.