Press Release
May 9, 2009

Zubiri proposes quarantine for all incoming passengers from abroad
Says DOH should stop picking on solons, Team Pacquiao

Senate Majority leader Juan Miguel Zubiri today said the Department of Health (DOH) should issue a memorandum circular directing the placement of all incoming passengers from abroad under quarantine.

Zubiri issued the call to ensure that all passengers from abroad especially those that came from the US such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Nevada are not carriers of the AH1N1 virus.

He said that instead of picking on the legislators or the so called Team Pacquiao that went to Las Vegas last May 3 (Philippine time) to watch the Pacquiao-Hatton bout, the health department should concentrate on the estimated 1,300 passengers that arrive in the country from the US everyday aboard 747-planes.

"Hindi po ako natatakot. Sasama po ako basta may batas, may utos ng Department of Health pero huwag lang naman sanang ako lang, si Sen. Bong Revilla, iyong mga kongresista at si Manny Pacquiao ang ika-quarantine sa loob ng ospital," Zubiri said in an interview over DZXL-Radio Mindanao Network (RMN).

The Majority Leader said almost 400 other Filipinos were on board the same flight that he took from Las Vegas to Manila and there are three 747-planes that plane in daily, each carrying 480 passengers from the US that requires the attention of the health officials.

"Dapat may circular ang DOH na sasabihin na hindi lang kayo. Ang dapat lahat ng darating araw-araw magpapa-quarantine dahil kapag ganoon ang kautusan maganda. Pero ang dating kasi sa atin lahat lang ng politico, ng Team Pacquiao at si Manny Pacquiao ang dapat i-quarantine," he said.

He appealed to the DOH to accord equal treatment to all passengers coming from the US, pointing out monitoring of high-profile personalities from the US would be easier compared to other passengers.

Also, he likewise said that he is willing to go through the DOH proposal for him to undergo self-quarantine if necessary although he had gone through the quarantine procedure to make sure that he is not infected with Swine flu.

"Alam mo nagpa-quaratine naman ako. Meron akong pinsan na doctor at nagpa-check ako sa kanya. Wala naman akong sintomas na pinapakita.. I am as fit as an ox. Medyo healthy na healthy tayo overweight nga in fact. Kaya so far wala naman tayong problema."

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