Bacoor City seeks more quarantine facilities as COVID cases surge

MANILA, Philippines—Bacoor City Mayor Lani Mercado-Revilla is appealing to President Rodrigo Duterte and the national government to open quarantine facilities in her hometown, which is seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Revilla said in an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo on Thursday (Sept. 2) that the city government wanted to open more quarantine facilities but Office of Civil Defense (OCD) administrator Ricardo Jalad allegedly rejected the request although it had been approved already by National Task Force for COVID-19 officials Delfin Lorenzana and Carlito Galvez Jr.

There are currently 2,525 active COVID-19 cases in Bacoor City, Revilla said.

“I was told last night that first, it will not be approved because of availability of funds. No approval yet from the OCD administrator,” said the mayor.

“And when I asked why there are reservations, there’s fear of COA,” Revilla said, referring to Commission on Audit.

The request for more isolation facilities would be under Oplan Kalinga, which was supposed to be for those infected with SARS Cov 2, the virus that causes COVID-19, but are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms.

The OCD said it was looking into Revilla’s concerns.

The agency in a statement said it was not preventing the opening of the facilities. It said Jalad only wanted to ensure adherence to procurement processes that would include payment for additional goods and services.

“We are in communication with the Office of Mayor Mercado through our regional office in Calabarzon so that her concerns can be properly addressed,” the OCD said.

TSB