DILG assures protection of privacy of individuals during contact tracing

DILG Spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya. (Photo from his FB account)

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) assured that the government will respect the privacy of possible carriers of the coronavirus disease during its contact tracing initiatives.

“Sinusunod po natin ang direktiba ng Inter-agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) na ang contract tracing ay maging national-government-enabled, LGU-led at people-centered response. Kaya sisiguraduhin natin ang kapakanan ng mga tao kabilang nariyan ang fundamental right to privacy,” DILG spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said in a statement on Tuesday.

(We are following the directive of IATF-MEID that the contact tracing should be national-government-enabled, Local government unit-led and people-centered response. We are ensuring the welfare of the people because of the existence of a fundamental right to privacy.)

Malaya, likewise asked the public to report their health conditions to the government, especially if they had close contacts with patients who tested positive for coronavirus, which causes COVID-19.

“Subalit nakikiusap po ang gobyerno sa mamamayan na maging matapat sa pagsasabi ng kanilang nararamdamang sintomas at nalalaman nilang pakikihalobilo kamakailan sa COVID-19 patients. Hindi po biro ito. Narito ang gobyerno para tulungan kayong magamot,” he urged.

(The government is appealing to the public, to be honest when reporting about their symptoms and if they recently interacted with COVID-19 patients. This is not a joke. The government is here to assist you in medical treatment.)

Malaya also reminded the mandate to report medical conditions that are of public concern under Republic Act No. 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año also reiterated the call to local government units to focus on contact tracing in their respective regions to identify carriers of the coronavirus disease.

“With the absence of the cure and the vaccine against COVID-19 for now, the fight against this virus is in contact tracing. It is urgent that LGUs identify the hosts or carriers of COVID-19 in every locality to prevent further spread of this deadly virus,” Año said in the same statement.

Edited by JPV