Rico Quicho, former dean of the University of Makati School of Law and former spokesperson of then Vice President Jejomar Binay filed charges against Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel for his “blatant violation” of the enhanced community quarantine protocols imposed in the whole Luzon island due to COVID-19.
Quicho cited facts and circumstances leading to the senator’s violation to the Department of Health regulations and the Republic Act 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health events and Public Health Concern Act.
“As a lawyer and advocate of the rule of law, I cannot in good conscience allow the reckless actions of Senator Koko Pimentel to be brushed aside so easily. He blatantly violated laws, which put the lives and health of frontliners and even ordinary citizens at grave risk,” Quicho said in his Facebook post.
On March 24, Pimentel accompanied his then-pregnant wife to Makati Medical Center for the delivery of their first child. He added that he only learned that he was positive of COVID when he was already at the hospital and that he immediately left after having knowledge that he tested positive of the said virus.
CCTV footages also showed Pimentel entering S&R Bonifacio, Global City Taguig while being a Person Under Investigation, which led to the quarantine of workers who had contact with him.
It can be remembered that DOJ chief Menardo Guevarra said that they will act on the issue with “human compassion” but later changed tune after receiving backlash from the netizens.
DOJ, earlier said that they will “immediately” act on this complaint with a preliminary investigation.
Senator Pimentel stated that he is still awaiting a copy of the complaint filed but has since apologized and said that he will answer all complaints in due time.
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