MANILA, Nov. 19, 2014—A Catholic bishop condemned top military and health officials for visiting a group of soldiers under quarantine after serving in Ebola-ravaged Liberia without any protective gear.
Bishop Arturo Bastes of Sorsogon said Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang and acting Health Secretary Janette Garin were “irresponsible” for breaking the government’s own protocols when they made the visit.
“It was an irresponsible act,” Bastes said.
Around 100 Filipino UN peacekeepers are currently undergoing a 21-day quarantine in Caballo Island as a safety precaution agains the virus which claimed thousands of lives in African countries.
The bishop also agreed over calls for a quarantine of the officials as part of measures to prevent the spread of the deadly Ebola virus.
“They must be quarantined now to be sure that they were not infected [during] that unprotected visit,” Bastes added.
Bishop Honesto Ongtioco of Cubao, meanwhile, believes that the two officials know what they were doing during their visit to the island.
“I believe they are intelligent enough to know what they are doing not risking contamination. They must have been informed,” Ongtioco said. (CBCPNews)