ANGELES CITY — The Liga ng mga Barangay here condemned the Philippine Rehabilitation Institute (PRI) Medical Center for “deceitfully withholding information” regarding the admittance of a COVID-19 positive patients from Quezon City last March 27, 2020, which caused widespread panic among citizens.
Through Liga Resolution No. 02-0331-001, the Angeles City Barangay Captains, led by Liga ng mga Barangay President Jeremias Alejandrino, denounced the actions taken by PRI in admitting a known COVID-19 positive patient without notifying and coordinating with the City Government, in violation of the earlier Memorandum of Agreement signed between the City Government and PRI.
The village chiefs stressed the lack of transparency on the part of PRI caused undue distress and panic among citizens.
This comes following reports alleging the COVID-19 positive patient admitted by PRI was a relative of the hospital’s owner.
Further, the village chiefs hit the PRI management for their refusal to communicate with the City Government, even after Angeles City Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. personally called them to clarify the situation.
Earlier, Lazatin revealed that he had tried getting in touch with the management of PRI as soon as he heard of the incident at around 6:00 P.M. of March 28, 2020 until 12:00 A.M. of March 29, 2020, but the PRI management refused to take his calls.
It can be recalled that on March 28, 2020, Lazatin ordered the immediate full quarantine of PRI once the City Government learned that one COVID-19 positive patient and three Persons Under Investigation (PUIs) from Quezon City were secretly admitted by the hospital.