Yap accepts RITM's apology for COVID-19 test result 'clerical error'
By Ben Rosario
For two days since Wednesday, ACT –CIS Party-list Rep. Eric Go Yap could not sleep as he worried about the state of his health and was bothered by guilt at the grim thought of infecting the country’s top political leaders, President Duterte included, with the COVID-19 virus.
Rep. Eric Go Yap (Facebook)
At around 6 p.m. today, a call from the Department of Health-Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (DOH-RITM) instantly swept away Yap’s anguished thoughts.
Dr. Celia Carlos, DOH-RITM head, gave the happy news that the neophyte solon was the victim of a clerical error and that he had actually tested negative for the dreaded COVID-19.
Yap has become the object of public criticism after announcing on Thursday that the DOH-RITM had released findings of his COVID-19 test indicating that he has the dangerous disease.
The lawmaker publicly apologized for this as he revealed having attended at least three important events that put him inside one room with the leaders of Congress and top Cabinet members.
“No less than Dr. Carlos called me up to explained what happened,” he said Friday night.
The DOH-RITM chief aired her agency’s apology which was later posted on Facebook.
“Hindi naging madali ito, pero buong puso kong tinatanggap ang apology ng DOH-RITM,” Yap said.
(This experience wasn’t easy, but I wholeheartedly accept the apology of DOH-RITM).
Yap, chairman of the House committee on appropriations, said he fully understood the predicament of the agency, being the “busiest medical facility in the country right now.”
“This is just a clerical error and should not be taken against RITM, hindi sila nagkamali ng pag-process ng samples ko, hindi sila nagkamali sa basa ng results ko," Yap said. (They were not mistaken in processing my samples, they committed no error in reading the results.
Rep. Eric Go Yap (Facebook)
At around 6 p.m. today, a call from the Department of Health-Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (DOH-RITM) instantly swept away Yap’s anguished thoughts.
Dr. Celia Carlos, DOH-RITM head, gave the happy news that the neophyte solon was the victim of a clerical error and that he had actually tested negative for the dreaded COVID-19.
Yap has become the object of public criticism after announcing on Thursday that the DOH-RITM had released findings of his COVID-19 test indicating that he has the dangerous disease.
The lawmaker publicly apologized for this as he revealed having attended at least three important events that put him inside one room with the leaders of Congress and top Cabinet members.
“No less than Dr. Carlos called me up to explained what happened,” he said Friday night.
The DOH-RITM chief aired her agency’s apology which was later posted on Facebook.
“Hindi naging madali ito, pero buong puso kong tinatanggap ang apology ng DOH-RITM,” Yap said.
(This experience wasn’t easy, but I wholeheartedly accept the apology of DOH-RITM).
Yap, chairman of the House committee on appropriations, said he fully understood the predicament of the agency, being the “busiest medical facility in the country right now.”
“This is just a clerical error and should not be taken against RITM, hindi sila nagkamali ng pag-process ng samples ko, hindi sila nagkamali sa basa ng results ko," Yap said. (They were not mistaken in processing my samples, they committed no error in reading the results.