The Department of Justice (DOJ) has submitted for resolution the case against Senator Aquilino Martin “Koko” Pimentel III over alleged violations of quarantine protocols.
(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
“Yung kay Sen. Pimentel submitted for reso as of yesterday (The case against Sen. Pimentel has been submitted for resolution as of yesterday),” said Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon on Thursday (Sept. 24).
Assistant State Prosecutor Wendell Bendoval, who is handling the case, had ordered both Pimentel and complainant, former University of Makati law dean Rico Quicho, to submit last Monday, Sept. 21, their respective comments on the additional evidence submitted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Fadullon said he already talked to Bendoval and “already told him to resolve it ASAP (as soon as possible).”
The case concerns the March 24 visit of Pimentel who accompanied his then pregnant wife, Kathryna, to the Makati Medical Center (MMC). She already gave birth last March 29.
MMC had denounced the lawmaker’s visit since he was supposed to be under self-quarantine at that time when he was considered a person suspected of being infected with the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Immediately after his visit, he confirmed he tested positive for COVID-19.
Quicho filed the complaint last April 6 against Pimentel for being liable for violating Republic Act No. 11332, also known as the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act, and its implementing rules and other Department of Health (DOH) regulations.
Bendoval already submitted for resolution the case back in July following the conduct of a preliminary investigation but had to order the re-opening of the preliminary investigation after the NBI submitted last Sept. 4 the findings of its investigation including the submission of the incident reports from MMC medical director Dr. Saturnino Javier.