House Minority Leader Bienvenido Abante Jr. PHOTO FROM BENNY ABANTE FACEBOOK
MANILA, Philippines — House Deputy Speaker and former minority leader Bienvenido Abante Jr. has contracted COVID-19 for the second time.
Abante, who got his results Wednesday morning, said he is currently experiencing body pain and is under monitoring by his doctors.
“As part of regular precautions we have undertaken in our home to protect ourselves, our family, and our loved ones from COVID-19, I recently got tested for COVID. This morning I received the results of my test, which revealed that I am COVID-positive,” Abante said in a statement.
Abante said those he had been in close contact with the past several days have been informed of his re-infection and advised to self-quarantine and monitor themselves for symptoms.
“This is the second time I have contracted COVID. While at present I am only experiencing some body pain, I am currently being monitored by my doctors as a precautionary measure,” Abante said.
“Aside from being fully vaccinated, I have also received my booster shot––and it is clear, in my view, that the vaccines have helped me in these two bouts with the virus,” he added.
Abante urged the public, specifically his fellow senior citizens to get their vaccines and booster shots.
“Several days ago, Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr. revealed that an estimated 1.5 million senior citizens remain unvaccinated, a disturbing figure given how science and experience have already established how vulnerable this sector is to COVID,” Abante said.
“I urge the families of these unvaccinated senior citizens to exhaust all efforts to get our lolos and lolas vaccinated,” he added.