KABAYAN'S QUARANTINE BILL TO EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS ENTRY OF DISEASES
February 17, 2004

The administration’s strong bet for the vice-presidential race, Senator Noli “Kabayan” De Castro wants a strong defense against the killer pneumonia and other similar contagious diseases, and thus filed SBN 2548, which proposes the establishment of a Quarantine system and broadening the authority of quarantine officers.

The De Castro bill provides that when quarantine officers believe on reasonable grounds that a person arriving or departing in any ports of the country is ill or down with an infectious or dangerous disease or has recently been in close proximity to a person who may have or may be the carrier of a dangerous disease, the officer may ask such person to undergo medical examination immediately.

“Mahalaga na matutukan ang mga pumapasok na indibidwal sa ating bansa kaya naman sa panukalang ito ay nilawigan natin ang kapangyarihan ng mga quarantine officers dahil sila ang nagunguna sa pagkontra sa sakit na SARS.”

Under SBN 2548, it will be upon the authority of the quarantine officer if a person detained by him shall leave the place in which the person is detained and that no person shall remove or interfere in any way with any thing detained by the quarantine officer.

However, even with the broadened powers provided for the quarantine officials, Kabayan's bill also seeks to give the person detained ample protection against violation of his constitutional rights with the provision on the right to appeal against detention to the Health Secretary.

Kabayan also sought to provide under the bill, standards and procedures with respect to the cleansing or removal of conveyance, goods and cargo found to be infected with contagious disease.

This proposed Quarantine Act would be one of the effective measures to contain the fast spread of any disease.

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