Duterte apologizes for failed antigen tests on lawmakers

FILE PHOTO: President Rodrigo Duterte. KING RODRIGUEZ/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte apologized to Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Thursday over a “ruckus” after half of the COVID-19 antigen tests administered to him and other VIP guests who were at the Palace for the signing of the 2022 national budget came back positive.

During the ceremony for the signing of the budget and the bill creating the Department of Migrant Workers, Mr. Duterte told Sotto that Malacañang officials were just “very strict.”

“That’s their job, so if there are lapses, I apologize to you publicly,” he said, without elaborating on the cause of the so-called ruckus.

On top of a negative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, antigen tests are a must for visitors and guests attending an event with the President.

Sotto said the antigen tests failed as “almost 50 percent of those who were tested came out positive.”

“So [the Presidential Security Group] relied on the RT-PCR tests instead, which [were] of course more accurate,” he said in a text message.

The Department of Health considers RT-PCR tests the gold standard when testing for the coronavirus disease because of their high sensitivity.

Sotto said he and Sen. Cynthia Villar were leaving after getting the antigen test results when they were called back.

“Perhaps the president felt he had to apologize for the confusion,” Sotto said, adding, “The president was just being a gracious host.”

Also present at the signing were Senators Joel Villanueva, Imee Marcos, Christopher Go and Francis Tolentino; House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco; House Majority Leader Ferdinand Martin Romualdez; Batangas Rep. Mario Vittorio Mariño; Kabayan Rep. Ron Salo; Trade Union Congress of the Philippines Rep. Raymond Democrito Mendoza; and ACT-CIS Rep. Eric Yap.