The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) said that they’re not going to investigate their party’s President Aquilino ‘Koko’ Pimentel III over his infamous Makati Medical Center visit.
In an interview, Surigao del Sur 2nd district Rep. Johnny Pimentel, the spokesperson of PDP-Laban said that someone in the party should raise the issue before they discuss it.
“We will not initiate any probe on him unless may mag-raise sa party, [but] I don’t think so,” Pimentel said in an interview.
The spokesperson then defended Koko, insisted that the Senator may not really aware of his condition when he visited the Makati Medical Center.
“Si Koko naman is a very straightforward person. I don’t think gagawa siya nang ganun. Tingin ko hindi niya talaga alam at that time,” he said.
“According to him, nalaman naman niya yung gabing yun 9 p.m. [Tuesday]. He was at the hospital 7 p.m., let’s give him the benefit of the doubt. Inexplain naman niya na nagpatest siya. We believe him,” he said of the senator.
Pimentel then expressed the “full support” of PDP-Laban in the controversy he’s facing right now and they believed that it would not affect the reputation of the ruling party.
He also commented that the issue was just being amplified by the netizens until it became out-of-control
“Pinalaki nang pinalaki eh,” he said.
Senator Koko was criticized by the netizens and also by the medical community for staying beside his wife despite showing symptoms for the past few days.
Makati Medical Center denounced the recent act of Koko and called it ‘irresponsible’ and gave the health workers more problem.
“His admonition for everyone to observe social distancing, enhanced community quarantine measures, washing of hands and personal hygiene are nothing but empty rhetoric because he himself violated all those,” Makati Med statement read.
After receiving a tremendous amount of criticism, Pimentel finally apologized and asked the netizens for understanding.
“I’d like to extend my apologies to the Makati Medical Center. Please tell me how I can make it up to you,” Pimentel said on a separate statement, “just allow me in the meantime to recover and of course please give focus on my wife and the two lives which are involved here, which are at stake,”
Meanwhile, a group of lawyers is preparing to file multiple cases against Koko, explaining that the Senator should not escape his accountability.