By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Victorias City Mayor Francis Frederick Palanca became the latest local executive in Negros Occidental to fall sick with the coronavirus disease, or COVID-19.

According to Palanca, he had been hospitalized last Wednesday, November 4, after he started showing symptoms of the disease.

He said prior to falling ill, he went to Bacolod City two weeks ago in order to renew his License to Own and Possess Firearms. Palanca said he and five of his staff visited at least three places riding in a van.

The mayor believed he may have gotten infected in any of the three places he visited, or one of his staff in the van may have already been infected.

Upon returning back to Victorias City, all of them started having a sore throat, one of the symptoms of the illness.

Palanca also revealed that he had gone to Iloilo prior to falling ill, but thankfully he hadn’t infected anyone else.

He had himself tested at the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City on November 3 and the results were released the following day, prompting him to have himself hospitalized.

Yesterday morning, the doctors cleared him for discharge following four days of treatment. However, Palanca said he will voluntarily place himself on quarantine for another few days in a quarantine facility in Victorias City.
Palanca is the fifth politician to be struck with COVID-19 in the province following EB Magalona Mayor Marvin Malacon, Pontevedra Mayor Jose Maria Alonso and board members Samson Mirhan and Andrew Montelibano./DGB, WDJ