Roque says he is not quarantined in Pasay luxury hotel

MANILA, Philippines — Presidential spokesman Harry Roque on Thursday quashed rumors that he is being quarantined in a luxury hotel in Pasay City, dubbing them as “fake news.”

Roque said he is isolating in a hotel in San Juan City, which the government has accredited as a quarantine facility.

“That’s fake news. I’m in San Juan, along Annapolis street,” he said in a Palace briefing when asked about rumors that he was staying in a luxury hotel in Pasay City.

“‘Yung tsinitsismis na nandoon ako sa Pasay, I do not even know if we have the means to pay for that hotel dahil masyado pong grande ‘yan, 7-star hotel ‘yan,” he added.

“Ang alam ko 2 to 3-star hotels ang kinukuha natin including motels. Hindi naman ako nasa motel. Two-star hotel ito,” he continued.

He said the government has tapped some hotels to house COVID-19 patients who are without symptoms or only have mild symptoms.

These are different from hotels used to isolate returning overseas Filipino workers, he added.

He said there are other government officials infected with COVID-19 who are quarantined in the same facility he is in now, including an anchor of state broadcaster PTV, personnel from the Malacañang Accreditation and Relations Office, a director under Roque’s office, and an undersecretary from another department.

Roque added that he is mulling whether to stay at the facility or go home instead as he claims to be the only one who is asymptomatic among the patients.

“I’m conferring with my doctor if I’d be better off staying here or if I go home. But I would be discussing it with my doctor,” he said.

On Monday, he announced that he tested positive for the coronavirus.

He refused to show in public his positive COVID-19 test results, saying he does not think it is important.

/MUF