Bulacan lawmaker Villarica tests positive for COVID-19

MANILA, Philippines — Bulacan 4th District Rep. Henry Villarica was tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

This was confirmed by House Secretary-General Jose Luis Montales in a statement released Thursday.

According to Montales, Villarica last reported for work on March 4.

“On March 8, he attended an event hosted by Baliuag [Bulacan]  Mayor Ferdie Estrella, who was reported earlier to have tested positive,” Montales added.

The representative was admitted to the hospital on March 12, for pneumonia, and his condition is stable.

Meanwhile, members of his staff have not exhibited any symptoms of COVID-19, the House Secretary-General noted.

Previously, ACT-CIS Representative Eric Yap, chair of the House appropriations committee, disclosed that he too was infected with the viral disease.

Yap had previously been in Malacañang over the weekend and attended the special session of Congress on Monday.

Meanwhile, a Congressional staff member and an employee working for the House’s Printing Service previously succumbed to the disease.

As of Thursday, there have been 707 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 45 deaths and 28 recoveries.

Edited by JPV