Gen. Andres Centino, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), it was confirmed on Friday, Jan. 7.
Centino immediately underwent isolation in a facility at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City after his COVID-19 test yielded positive results on Thursday, according to Col. Ramon Zagala, AFP spokesperson.
“The Armed Forces of the Philippines confirms that the AFP Chief of Staff, General Andres Centino has tested positive for COVID-19, yesterday . General Centino is now in an approved isolation facility within Camp Aguinaldo where he will continue to perform his job, albeit in quarantine,” Zagala said.
“He remains in full command of the AFP, supervising all units in carrying out their assigned tasks through all allowed and available means,” he added.
Last Dec. 27, Centino attended in person at the “Talk to the People” public address of President Duterte. It was not clear though how the AFP Chief acquired the virus.
Meanwhile, Centino reminded all AFP personnel to “constantly practice safety measures and follow health protocols” to avoid getting infected and spreading it to other people.
“The AFP continues to advocate the preservation of our force so that we can effectively perform our mandate to protect the people and secure the state,” Zagala said.
Earlier this week, Gen. Dionardo Carlos, Chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), also tested positive for COVID-19.
At least four other pandemic task force members were also in isolation after being exposed to COVId-positive individuals.
They were Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) chair and Department of Health Sec. Francisco Duque III; National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 chair and Department of National Defense (DND) Sec. Delfin Lorenzana; NTF chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr.; and Department of Tourism (DOT) Sec. Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.