Privacy rights of COVID-19 patients hamper release of data, says Panelo

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Tuesday said privacy rights hamper the release of vital information of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients in the country, particularly their exact whereabouts.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said during his press briefing that the country’s privacy laws are the reason for the limited information being given about coronavirus patients.

Panelo, who is also President Duterte’s chief legal counsel, said he suggested to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III the release of the coronavirus patients’ whereabouts and local travel history, but warned him to be careful not to violate the privacy of COVID-19 patients.

“If you’ll ask me as a lawyer, we can (release the information), pero binabalanse nga nila [DOH]. I think they will study that… Binabalanse nila ‘yung privacy kasi pag sinabi mo baka lalo raw mag-create ng panic, maaapektuhan naman ‘yung establishment,” he said.

But Duterte, according to Panelo, doesn’t see the need to release data that could violate the patient’s privacy rights even as he has already declared a state of public health emergency.

“May mga degree kasi ang crisis. Sa pananaw ng Presidente at ng DOH, hindi pa tayo nakakarating sa level na kailangan gawin natin ‘yun,” he said.

“Ang pagkakasabi ni Presidente if there’s a dramatic increase in cases, medyo may problema na tayo doon,” he added.

Panelo likewise defended the health department from the alleged underreporting of coronavirus cases in the Philippines, stressing that the agency’s process “takes time” of validation, contact tracing and reporting.

“Hindi totoo ‘yung criticism na yun. ‘Yung sinasabi nila na underreporting, how can they report kung hindi pa nila alam?” he said.

Duque earlier admitted that the lack of testing supplies may have led to a possible “underreporting” of coronavirus cases in the country, in response to claims made by Sen. Panfilo Lacson over the weekend that the DOH might have unintentionally “underreported” COVID-19 cases.

The DOH on Tuesday afternoon reported nine new coronavirus cases, raising the total infections in the country to 33.

EDV