Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David has expressed doubts over the positive COVID-19 test result of a priest who died of a heart attack while visiting the Diocese.
This came after all the close contacts of Fr Manuel "Mawe" Jadraque Jr. of the Mission Society of the Philippines (MSP), who tested COVID-19 positive in a post-mortem swab testing, turned out negative for the virus.
David's doubt strengthened after he asked to obtain the specimen from the laboratory that conducted the swab test for genome sequencing "to know what variant" they were dealing with, but the genome center could not supposedly obtain the specimen from the laboratory.
"That started all the frustrations and disappointments," according to David, who is now "being suspicious of the reliability of PCR tests being conducted."
"Can you imagine all the hassle one questionable test result has caused us? Fr Mawe had to be cremated immediately; his own family and friends were unable to hold a proper wake for him," he said in a Facebook post Thursday night.
"We locked down our institutions, had ourselves swab tested, spent a huge sum for the PCR tests only to find out something statistically impossible?" he added.
David implied they were considering taking Jadraque's corpse for retest to verify his COVID-19 test result. However, he "has been cremated already."
Jadraque died of a heart attack last Saturday before getting off a tricycle. The priest, who already completed his two doses of Sinovac, tested positive for COVID-19 after David took him for a swab test as he was concerned that his death might be triggered by the virus.