No special election to replace councilor in Busuanga, Palawan who died of COVID-19

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY –– No special election would be held in Busuanga town in Palawan province to replace a councilor who died of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), a local government official here said.

Virgilio Tagle, provincial director of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), said the replacement of the councilor, whose name was being withheld by authorities, would instead be appointed by the governor from a list of nominees to be submitted by the political party of the deceased official.

The 63-year-old male municipal councilor from Busuanga died due to the complications of COVID-19 on September 9. Some 67 individuals were considered close contacts of the councilor. Two of these contracts were found positive for COVID-19, said Tagle.

The deceased councilor, who had no travel history but with known comorbidity, is the second COVID-19 fatality in the Calamian Islands Group, which is now considered an emerging hotspot for COVID-19 in the Palawan province, which has so far recorded 81 cases, 42 of which remained active.

The continued rise of COVID-19 cases in Palawan has prompted local officials to urgently hire at least 517 contact tracers, to strengthen its containment protocol.

LZB