House Deputy Speaker and Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante disclosed on Wednesday, Jan. 5 that he has tested positive to COVID-19.

“This morning, I received the results of my test, which revealed that I am COVID-positive,” Abante said in a statement released to the Lower House media.
Abante, 70, said he and his family have made efforts to “reach out to those” whom he had been in close contact with in the past several days.
“They have now been informed of my results and have been advised to self-quarantine and to monitor themselves for symptoms,” he said.
This was his second COVID-19 infection. He hinted that the current infection is not as serious as the previous one as he had been “only experiencing some body pain.” “Aside from being fully vaccinated, I have also received my booster shot - and it is clear, in my view, that the vaccines have helped me in these two bouts with the virus,” he said.
“I enjoin everyone - especially senior citizens like myself - to get vaccinated and to get their booster shots, especially with the rising number of COVID cases in the country,” the veteran administration lawmaker stated.
Abante’s disclosure of his COVID 19 condition came a day after House Secretary General Mark Llandro Mendoza declared a one-week lockdown of the Batasan Pambansa compound in Quezon City.
Mendoza said the move is part of the Lower House leadership’s precautionary measures against the spread of COVID cases.
There remains no report on the status of House members and employees of the chamber since the suspension of work started a few days before Christmas day last month.