Guevarra orders Immigration to find infected foreigners who sought treatment at illegal facility
By Jeffrey Damicog
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has been directed to track down foreigners who have been seeking treatment for the novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) at an illegal medical facility inside the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga, which was discovered by the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra (TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO /MANILA BULLETIN)
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra himself gave the directive following the PNP’s raid of the illegal medical facility located inside Fontana Resort and Convention Center.
“I have instructed the BI to coordinate with the PNP/LGUs (PNP/local government units) in tracking down these Chinese and other nationals who sought treatment from this unauthorized medical facility in Pampanga and who could still be dangerously roaming around,” he told reporters on Wednesday, May 20.
“If found, they will be brought to legitimate hospitals or quarantine facilities for proper treatment, without prejudice to charging those responsible for this illegal operation,” he assured.
Joint elements of the PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Regional Field Unit (CIDG-RFU), Philippine National Police Region 3 (PNP-3), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) stormed a villa where the illegal facility was located on May 19.
During the operation, authorities arrested Chinese nationals Ling Hu, 45, and the alleged owner of the facility Seung-Hyun Lee, 38.
Found at the villa were seven beds, a kitchen-type laboratory, and medicines with Chinese labels that are not registered with the FDA.
The operation was conducted after the Department of Health (DOH) and FDA verified that no hospital or clinic had a permit to operate as a medical facility at the leisure park.
The facility also violated quarantine and safety protocols since the persons seeking treatment for COVID-19 there were all unreported to the DOH.
Read more: Illegal COVID-19 facility discovered inside Clark Freeport
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra (TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO /MANILA BULLETIN)
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra himself gave the directive following the PNP’s raid of the illegal medical facility located inside Fontana Resort and Convention Center.
“I have instructed the BI to coordinate with the PNP/LGUs (PNP/local government units) in tracking down these Chinese and other nationals who sought treatment from this unauthorized medical facility in Pampanga and who could still be dangerously roaming around,” he told reporters on Wednesday, May 20.
“If found, they will be brought to legitimate hospitals or quarantine facilities for proper treatment, without prejudice to charging those responsible for this illegal operation,” he assured.
Joint elements of the PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Regional Field Unit (CIDG-RFU), Philippine National Police Region 3 (PNP-3), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) stormed a villa where the illegal facility was located on May 19.
During the operation, authorities arrested Chinese nationals Ling Hu, 45, and the alleged owner of the facility Seung-Hyun Lee, 38.
Found at the villa were seven beds, a kitchen-type laboratory, and medicines with Chinese labels that are not registered with the FDA.
The operation was conducted after the Department of Health (DOH) and FDA verified that no hospital or clinic had a permit to operate as a medical facility at the leisure park.
The facility also violated quarantine and safety protocols since the persons seeking treatment for COVID-19 there were all unreported to the DOH.
Read more: Illegal COVID-19 facility discovered inside Clark Freeport