COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 12 March) – The spokesperson and Interior and Local Government minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has voluntarily put himself on self-quarantine after attending a Senate hearing this week where a resource person who tested positive for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) had attended an earlier hearing.
Lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo met met with senators and officials at the Senate building after attending the joint hearing of the local government and finance committees.
The resource person attended on March 5 a hearing of the Senate education committee.
BARMM Interior Minister Naguib Sinarimbo works at home while undergoing self-quarantine. Photo from BARMM-READi Facebook page
Senators Nancy Binay and Sherwin Gatchalian, who presided the said hearing, placed themselves under self-quarantine starting Wednesday while the Senate has been locked down to contain the spread of the virus.
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte has also put herself on self-quarantine starting Thursday, a day after her meeting in Manila with Gatchalian who was in direct contact with the resource person.
“Although he feels well and does not show any flu-like symptoms, Mr. Sinarimbo opted to self-quarantine,” a statement released to the media from the Minister’s office said.
Sinarimbo, however, continued to perform his job at home through the internet and mobile phone and had two virtual meetings – the Mindanao Humanitarian Team cum Contingency Planning on Corona Virus and Seal of Good Local Governance Coordination Meeting – on Thursday, the statement added.
“I have weighed my options and I am of the considered view that most responsible action to take is to go on self-quarantine,” he posted in his Facebook page.
Meanwhile, BARMM Chief Minister Ahod “Hadji Murad” Ebrahim is expected to issue a memorandum order creating a task force on coronavirus to combat the spread of the disease in the region, Deputy Executive Director Abdullah Cusain said. (Ferdinandh Cabrera/MindaNews)