Two of six Piston members who staged protest test positive for COVID-19

June 18, 2020

Two members of six Piston transport group which conducted a protest on June 2 and detained for six days tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), according to Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice on Wednesday.

“Two of the six (jeepney drivers) detained in Caloocan Detention Facility tested positive for COVID-19,” Erice said in a Facebook post.

“It is important that the detainees they had contact with must be tested and the facility to be disinfected,” he added. He did not reveal their names, but a 72-year-old tested negative.

Erice also said they will conduct testing on the driver’s families.

The six drivers underwent testing on June 11 and their results came out on June 17.

After the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila shifted to general community quarantine (GCQ), the six Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (Piston) members conducted a protest along EDSA where they were arrested and charged with resistance and disobedience to authority for allegedly refusing to stop their demonstration which is not allowed during community quarantine.

On June 8, four were released from detention after posting bail while the two others, including the 72-year-old driver, were only released the next day due to their pending cases. Ella Dionisio/DMS