Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Pio
P. Catapang, Jr. “was relieved ” after getting a briefing from World
Health Organization (WHO) representatives in the Philippines about the
Ebola virus.
A statement from the AFP said Catapang visited the WHO Philippines
office in Manila days after he and Health acting Secretary Janette Garin
came under fire for allegedly violating WHO protocols on the Ebola
virus disease when they mingled with quarantined peacekeepers at Caballo
Island in Cavite.
Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc, the AFP public affairs office (PAO) chief,
said Catapang had a 30-minute meeting with senior representatives of
WHO-Philippines.
During the meeting, he was briefed by Dr. Megan Counahan, WHO Philippines’ Ebola expert, about the Ebola disease.
“Learning that Ebola is not an ‘efficient virus’ and could only
infect people who get in contact with bodily fluids of sick persons who
got the disease, Catapang was relieved of worries,” according to the AFP
statement.
“Indeed, like the peacekeepers, I am Ebola-free,” Catapang was quoted in the statement.
He also vowed to collaborate with both WHO and the Department of
Health (DoH) in disseminating correct information about the dreaded
disease.
In the same meeting, Catapang handed over a thank letter to the
organization for issuing a press statement that “supports the Department
of Health (DOH) and AFP’s action” to visit the UN peacekeepers in
Caballo island, without any personal protection equipment (PPE).
Cabunoc noted that on the same (Friday), news articles in national
dailies carried the statement issued by WHO regarding the correct use
PPE, which critics said the officials should have worn when they visited
and mingled with the peacekeepers. The WHO, however, said the PPE is
needed only when dealing with persons who have symptoms of the Ebola
disease.
The lone UN Filipino peacekeeper who developed high fever following
their return from Liberia was diagnosed with malaria and was promptly
evacuated Nov. 14 to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM)
in Muntinlupa City.
