HRET offices in QC on 14-day lockdown
Published Jun 25, 2020 12:00 am
By Ellson Quismorio and Rey Panaligan
The head of the House of Representatives' contingent to the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) confirmed lockdown orders there Thursday, citing an employee suspected of being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19.
House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (MANILA BULLETIN)
"The employee concerned has undergone confirmatory testing yesterday (June 24), the result of which will be released in 3 to 5 days," Kabayan Party-List Rep. Ron Salo told the Manila Bulletin.
Salo said the worker, whose identity was withheld, manifested symptoms "including a 39-degree fever, dry cough, body pains and loss of appetite."
"Although in the rapid mass testing previously conducted among HRET employees, the concerned personnel tested negative," he noted.
Earlier Thursday, Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Mario Victor Leonen said the HRET has been on lockdown for 14 days since June 23.
Leonen said the employee “may have been infected after we did a staff-wide rapid test a week ago. He was a liaison between government offices,” Leonen said.
“We have also informed the other government agency involved. We will inform all the litigants and lawyers,” Leonen said.
Salo said Tribunal Chairman Leonen has instructed all HRET employees to undergo work-from-home for two weeks from June 24 to July 6, 2020, except for essential employees to be determined by the Secretary of the Tribunal.
"All employees the concerned personnel were in close contact with were advised to undergo strict home quarantine while monitoring their health status," Salo said.
"In the event, the employee concerned turns out positive, all those employees he was in close contact with shall also undergo confirmatory testing," he added.
The HRET is the sole judge of all contests involving the election and qualifications of the members of the House of Representatives. Its counterpart in the Senate is the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET).
The HRET and SET are both located at the Commission on Audit Compound in Batasan, Quezon City.
However, Salo said most SET employees report for duty at their new office at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City, which is closer to the Senate.
House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (MANILA BULLETIN)
"The employee concerned has undergone confirmatory testing yesterday (June 24), the result of which will be released in 3 to 5 days," Kabayan Party-List Rep. Ron Salo told the Manila Bulletin.
Salo said the worker, whose identity was withheld, manifested symptoms "including a 39-degree fever, dry cough, body pains and loss of appetite."
"Although in the rapid mass testing previously conducted among HRET employees, the concerned personnel tested negative," he noted.
Earlier Thursday, Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Mario Victor Leonen said the HRET has been on lockdown for 14 days since June 23.
Leonen said the employee “may have been infected after we did a staff-wide rapid test a week ago. He was a liaison between government offices,” Leonen said.
“We have also informed the other government agency involved. We will inform all the litigants and lawyers,” Leonen said.
Salo said Tribunal Chairman Leonen has instructed all HRET employees to undergo work-from-home for two weeks from June 24 to July 6, 2020, except for essential employees to be determined by the Secretary of the Tribunal.
"All employees the concerned personnel were in close contact with were advised to undergo strict home quarantine while monitoring their health status," Salo said.
"In the event, the employee concerned turns out positive, all those employees he was in close contact with shall also undergo confirmatory testing," he added.
The HRET is the sole judge of all contests involving the election and qualifications of the members of the House of Representatives. Its counterpart in the Senate is the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET).
The HRET and SET are both located at the Commission on Audit Compound in Batasan, Quezon City.
However, Salo said most SET employees report for duty at their new office at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City, which is closer to the Senate.