Some 10 members of Senator Richard Gordon’s “immediate” staff at the Senate and the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) tested positive for COVID-19, prompting him to get tested as well.

In a statement on Saturday, Gordon said he, his wife, and their household staff all tested negative, but have decided to go into a self-imposed home isolation.

As for his infected staff members,   all tested positive following the PRC’s routine testing, Gordon said they are now in quarantine and contact tracing has already been conducted.

“I am sharing this information with the public in the interest of transparency and so that all potentially affected persons may be attended to,” said Gordon, who also chairs the Philippine Red Cross.

The legislator said the nature of their job at the PRC – which includes relief missions and supervision of COVID-19 initiatives – puts them at risk of contracting many illnesses.

“The people who work and volunteer at the PRC, including my Senate staff who volunteer there, accept and face these and many other challenges,” Gordon said. /Stacy Ang