January 15, 2025

Emmanuel "Manny" F. Piñol

Official Website

Filipinos from Sabah! Sulu Sultan Sounds Alarm, Proposes Quarantine Island

Manny Piñol April 1, 2020 1 min read
The Sultan of Sulu, Mauedzul-Lail Tan Kiram, has asked the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) to inform President Rody Duterte of an imminent health problem posed by thousands of Filipinos returning home from nearby Sabah.
In a Facebook Messenger message sent to me yesterday, Sultan Kiram raised the concerns aired by the Health Frontliners in the Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu, Tawitawi area (ZAMBASULTA) on the threat of the possible spread of COVID-19 if quarantine facilities are not set up.
The Sultan proposed that with the help of the IATF, an island in Tawitawi or Sulu be turned into a Quarantine Area for thousands of Filipinos returning from Sabah.
In response to the Sultan’s concerns, I have asked Undersecretary Janet Lopoz to forward to the Office of the President, through the IATF, a Memorandum endorsing the establishment of a quarantine island.
The letter also includes a request for the Department of Health and the Department of Social Welfare and Development to support the program.

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