Catapang willing to be quarantined

Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Catapang. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

ZAMBOANGA CITY —After drawing flak for his recent visit along with other military and health officials to Caballo Island where peacekeepers are quarantined, Armed Forces chief General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said he is willing to be put in isolation if necessary.

“Yes. We want to set protocol. Si Secretary [Janette] Garin kasama ko if  sabihin niya mag pa-quarantine kami we will follow orders,” Catapang told reporters.

A day after the visit to Caballo, Catapang had already mingled with the crowd including President Benigno Aquino III at the Department of National Defense anniversary rites at Camp Aguinaldo.

Peacekeepers from Liberia arrived last week and were immediately brought to Caballo island for a three-week quarantine.

On criticism that he was defeating the purpose of the quarantine by visiting the peacekeepers, Catapang said he had to show to the public that the peacekeepers should not be feared since they had not shown any signs of the virus after passing the Ebola screening test on Nov. 8.

Almost 5,000 were killed from the deadly virus in West Africa where the peacekeepers stayed for almost a year.

One peacekeeper developed a fever last week and was brought to Manila for observation. He was diagnosed with malaria and was tested negative for Ebola.

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